Give Me Love Like Never Before
by QueenRiver
Summary: Klaus is one of the top businessmen in New York who never stops until he achieves what he wants. For him money is everything. But will this change when he meets Caroline who believes there are other things worth than money like love, family and friendship? Follow the life of Klaus as he learns the true meaning of love from our pretty blonde. AU/AH. Please Give it a Chance. I dare u
1. Chapter 1

_**Give Me Love Like Never Before**_

_**A/N: This is my first Vampire Diaries fanfiction. So please read and tell if you like it. I love Klaroline and they inspired me to write this AU/AH story**_

_**I do not own TVD.**_

_**Chapter 1**_

Caroline just couldn't believe it. She was finally leaving her home town for good. She always thought she would spend her entire lifetime as a housewife, married to Tyler. She had spent her whole time in a small town that she had never thought how it would be to live outside her small world.

Caroline was born and brought up in Mystic Falls. She was content living with her mom Liz and planning some events for the town. But life was always full of surprises. And that was how she found herself minutes from setting foot in New York. It was her mom's idea that a change of scene would help. Also, it had been two years since she met her childhood best friend, Stefan.

Stefan-the mere mention of his name brought a smile to Caroline's lips. Both Stefan and Caroline had been inseparable friends. They would spend hours talking and playing together as children. They never had any secrets between them and always looked out for each other. Many, including her mother and his brother, thought they would fall in love with each other eventually. But they just laughed at the mere thought.

Stefan was the one who helped Caroline when she fell down from her bicycle when she was five. He was the one who punched the guy who tried to grope her when she was in high school. He had been there for her through the highs and lows of her life. He left Mystic Falls for his job.

Initially it did hurt her that he chose his job over her but later realized that it was what best for him. They still remained the best of friends. If there was anyone who could comfort Caroline right now, it was definitely Stefan.

As soon as the plane landed, people scrambled to get down. Caroline realized New York was nothing like Mystic Falls as people here were always in a hurry unlike back in her town, where everyone had a laid back and leisurely life.

Just when she was done loading her luggage, a hand tapped on her shoulders. Whirling around, Caroline found her ever handsome best friend, looking down her with a huge smile on his face. She immediately flung herself onto him and hugged him.

Stefan responded with an equally enthusiastic and tight hug. Caroline instantly relaxed sensing familiarity. Subconsciously, she had been quite worried about coming to the most populous city in the United States. But Stefan's warm embrace eased all her tensions and worries and made her feel home. It was just that, nothing could harm her when she was with him.

"Care-bear! Long time no see! So, you forgot about your pathetic friend down here, hmm? ", teased Stefan wiggling his eyebrows. His happiness on seeing his best friend after a long time was evident on his face. Stefan was normally the serious type. Caroline was always like a bombshell full of enthusiasm. They always brought the best out of the other and complimented each other.

This time his joy on having his Care back made him sport an uncharacteristic idiotic smile. Caroline just shoved him and replied, "It wasn't me who left his poor friend alone back at home for a fancy job here", teasing along.

"Oh Care! Still not over it? I told you to join me at that time itself", said Stefan feeling a bit guilty. He had always felt a little apprehensive of leaving back Caroline in Mystic Falls though she had assured that she was fine with it and nothing could make her happier than him doing well in life. Caroline just laughed it off and assured, "I was just joking Stef! I know about you. But are you sure Elena is okay with me staying at your place? I mean, I am sure I could find a place for me here"

Elena was Stefan's girlfriend. They had been dating for three years now and were still madly in love with each other. Elena was always friendly and a perfect match for Stefan. Both were kind, caring, and selfless which made Caroline to conclude that they were indeed made for each other. Unlike Stefan's earlier girlfriends, Elena completely understood about their friendship and was never jealous or insecure.

Stefan just grabbed the trolley from her hands and said, "Don't be stupid. Elena loves you. She has no problem with you staying at my place. So you cannot escape from me even if you wish to". Caroline smiled gratefully but answered "Oh! How disappointing? Here goes my plan to get rid of you" with a little twinkle in her eyes and got into his car. She already felt all her problems and worries dissipate from her. Maybe her mother was right about coming to this city.

"Oh come on Elena! You are as bad as my broody brother. Come on! Have some fun with the interesting Salvatore for a change! ", winked Damon as Elena was busy trying to get everything ready for Caroline's arrival. Since Stefan had the task of getting Caroline here, it was Elena's job to make sure everything was fine when she was there. Damon was supposed to be helping her. Apparently it was rather unfortunate for Elena that he was in one of those moods today.

Damon was everything Stefan was not. When Elena first met him, she thought he was nothing but a playboy. But as she got to know more about him, she realized that he was just a guy who masked everything with his smirk. "Yeah, Damon. I understand that you are dying to visit the new club tonight. But seriously, this is not the right time", sighed Elena setting up the table for dinner. "But why not? Is it because Stef's favourite blonde is coming over?" asked Damon pouting.

"Honestly, you should not have a boring relationship like the one you two are sharing. You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, adventure and even a little danger", told Damon staring at Elena intensely. They stood a little too close to each other's comfort. After a few seconds, Elena just burst out laughing and said between the laughs, "Damon! That was pretty creepy! I thought you were serious, for a moment!" Damon felt himself come out of a trance as he cleared his throat and shrugged, "Well, acting is one of my many talents".

"Whoa! What do we have here? I didn't expect you to go all the way when you said you would take care of the dinner, Elena!" burst out Stefan's voice near the door as he entered the kitchen. On seeing him, Elena's smile automatically widened and rushed to hug him.

They shared a sweet chaste kiss and smiled into each other's eyes as they broke the kiss. Caroline, who had followed Stefan, felt like she was intruding one of their intimate moments. She was immediately distracted by the voice of her least favourite Salvatore.

"Oh! If not for my favourite Barbie! It's been ages since we saw each other, I believe? Did you miss all my sexiness when I was absent, blondie?" teased Damon. Caroline just rolled her eyes. She was used to Damon's taunting from a very young age. For him, Caroline was always the annoying little girl who was best friends with his little brother.

For some reason, both never got on well. Caroline always thought he was a flirt and jack ass while Damon considered her as one of those stupid blondes. If there was one thing they shared in common, it was their love for Stefan. That was the only thing that helped when they had to tolerate the each other's presence.

"Well, I believe I shouldn't have expected any miracles. You are the same cocky and sarcastic Damon. Some things never change", replied Caroline giving him a false smile. When Damon returned a smirk, he was immediately blocked by Elena who welcomed Caroline with a warm hug. "Caroline! It is so nice to see you again. We are really happy to have you here!" beamed Elena still not breaking the hug fully.

"Could anyone please care to enlighten me what is going on here? Am I missing something?" Damon asked genuinely confused. "Ah brother! I think no one told you. But the thing is, Care is staying at my place for a few months to relax" explained Stefan hoping that Damon would be happy with the explanation. But apparently he was wrong. "Fine! I get it that she wants to be at her friend's place. But for months? I thought Elena was going to move in with you this month?" Damon retorted.

Caroline appeared shocked on hearing this new piece of information. She was already guilty that she was staying here but added to that, hearing this additional news made her uneasy. "It doesn't matter!" proclaimed Elena immediately glaring at Damon. She continued when Caroline was about to intervene. "Seriously, we don't have any problem waiting. Actually, we had decided to be together when we move into a new apartment last week only".

Caroline didn't appear convinced and was about to argue when Stefan stopped her by raising his hand. "No Care. It is not what you think. We had already discussed about this and came to this decision. I want to you to be at my place when you are here. And it is not only that" he paused his eyes softening when it met Caroline's blue ones, "I have missed you", whispered Stefan softly.

Caroline felt so overwhelmed. She didn't know what she did to deserve such a great friend but promised to herself that she would forever cherish this friendship. "Aw! As cute as this moment you two are sharing, are you sure about this, Elena?" said Damon turning towards Elena smirking. "After all, Stefan does have a weakness for blondes. Remember Rebekah Mikaelson?" completed Damon with a wicked smiled.

**A/N: So here goes the first chapter. I have tried my best to not make the characters OOC. I am sorry for lack of Klaus this chapter. Next chapter will be his and maybe a bit of klaroline. English is not my mother-tongue, so sorry for any grammatical mistakes. Please be kind enough to review. It means a lot to budding writers like me **

**P.S. I used a line from 3x22 in this chapter. I am sure everyone recognized it. **


	2. Chapter 2

_**Give Me Love Like Never Before**_

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for reviewing, favoriting and alerting this story. It meant a lot. Special thanks to Mystery Girl3, rudyricky, nicaha23, drewwness and Guest for your wonderful reviews. That made me update faster. Now without further delay the next chapter. I do not own TVD.**

_**Chapter 2**_

Niklaus Mikaelson, one of the top businessmen in New York, was standing frustrated at the fact he was wasting his time instead of developing ideas to improve the sales of his cars. He was the one who brought style to the automobile industry when it was dominated by Ford, Volkswagen and Audi.

His cars may have become popular but it was still not the number one in US. If anyone knew completely about Klaus, they also knew that he would settle for nothing but the best. He never liked to be behind anyone in anything. And maybe that was why he was irritated that he had to follow his sister Rebekah in this bloody jewellery shop.

However his sister was no better than him when it comes to stubbornness. Being the only sister of three brothers meant she always had her way. And that was what, she was doing right now. Even though, she knew that her brother had work, she dragged him here. Now, Klaus could say no to anyone but his sister, which she used to her advantage this time.

"Bekah, seriously what am I doing here?" Klaus asked a little impatiently. "Oh don't whine, Nik. You are just helping your little sister, to pick a good necklace", answered Rebekah coolly. "Are you kidding me? I have so much to do. You thought that you could just tag me along to buy a stupid necklace?" growled Klaus lowly.

"Well, when have you ever had nothing to do? It is always the meetings or discussions or research. You have become such a bore, Nik", pouted Rebekah. "Well, that is pretty unfortunate. But I really have some important stuff to do. See, here is my card".

Klaus took out a silver card out of his pocket and offered it to her. "Buy whatever you want. Just leave me alone. Got it?" asked Klaus as he tried hard to make his sister see sense. Rebekah looked sort of conflicted for a moment but finally sighed in defeat and told "Fine. If that's what you want to do, carry on."

Klaus ruffled her hair as he used to when they were younger and gave her a genuine smile, "Now, that's my girl. See you! Happy shopping". Rebekah huffed and tried her best to straighten her blonde hair as she shouted "You idiot! I told you not to mess with my hair".

Klaus just chuckled and went for the door. But he was stopped when Rebekah called out, "Nik, just one second!" Klaus clicked his tongue and turned towards her irritated, "What is it again, Bekah? I swear if…." He couldn't complete his threat as he gazed on an exquisite diamond ring.

"Remember this design, Nik? You gave me a ring made of lily of similar design for my eighth birthday. You had gone to a summer camp that year and I was very sad that you couldn't be there for my special day. You tried to convince me but God, I was so mad at you", laughed Rebekah delving on her sweet memories.

"Later you gave that ring you yourself had designed. It was, it is and it will be the best gift I have ever received in my life. I still cherish it and have it in one my jewel boxes. That ring signifies the love you had for me. It reconfirmed to me that I was still an important person to you. Even when we were kids, Elijah has always been the matured brother who also played the role of a parent. Kol was the irritating one always annoying the hell out of me and making me cry." grimaced Rebekah.

"However, you were the one to drive away the monsters under my bed, the one who would wipe away my tears and only one to humor me when I asked you to accompany me when I played with my dolls. Even now after years together as family, you are the only one who never left me", completed Rebekah with her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Klaus gave her a longing look and said smiling slightly "Well, aren't we a pair?"

Rebekah returned a sad smile and continued, "But the thing is, you are not the same Nik anymore. You are this new guy who is nothing like his true self, always thinking about ways to amass more money. You have become a workaholic who could care less for his family."

"I don't recognize my brother whom I loved more than anything in the world. You could shower me with gifts worth millions but it would not even fair half the value of that lily ring you gave. I am afraid I am never going to have my brother back, Nik", cried Rebekah finally letting the tears flow down her smooth cheeks.

Klaus was overcome with emotions that he didn't know how to respond. He went closer to her and wiped off her tears as he always did. He was about to speak when his cell phone rang. Rebekah silently dared him to ignore it by raising her eyebrows. He struggled a bit but eventually said, "I am sorry, Bekah!" and answered the phone. Rebekah let out a disappointed sigh and watched her brother's calm facade morph to uncertainty, then panic and finally to rage.

Caroline continued unpacking her things. She had indeed brought a lot here. She once again looked around her room. It was perfect. It was furnished according to her taste. Of course no one knew her better than Stefan, not even her mother.

"Hope you like it in here, Care! I didn't know how you would like your room, so I just went by my instinct!" told Stefan as he leaned near the doorframe looking a bit nervous. Caroline smiled surprised that he was afraid whether she was satisfied when he was the one to do the favor. That was typical of him, she thought, always thinking about others.

"Well, your instinct is always right, Salvatore, because this room is perfect". Stefan relaxed and went over to sit with her on her bed. He brushed off the hair which had partly covered her beautiful face and asked, "Are you fine? I didn't ask earlier because Elena and Damon were there. And I know how much you hate others' sympathy". "And what makes you think I am ok with your sympathy?" retorted Caroline.

"You don't have to pretend with me, Care. Anybody would be upset after their father's death", said Stefan trying to get her talking. "I am ok. I'm not girlie little Caroline anymore, Stef. I can handle myself" replied Caroline trying to assure him. And Stefan did realize this was not his Caroline who came running to him when boys bullied her. She had changed a lot. He nodded and told, "Sure you can. I just want to be there for you if you want to share something"

"See I know that you loved your dad very much and you are shocked by his sudden death. Don't keep everything buried within you. I am here for you, Care", pleaded Stefan. "Why would I be upset, Stef? He left us for his boyfriend, remember? And it was because of him did mom become a workaholic. It's just..." stuttered Caroline her throat dry that her tears glistened in her eyes.

"I loved him a lot. I never thought he would leave us. He shrugged his responsibility, Stefan. He failed as a father. And I shouldn't be feeling bad but I can't because even after everything he was my dad", Caroline completed her confession tearing up. She had bottled up all her misery that it just broke out completely from the walls she had built.

Stefan immediately pulled her into a reassuring hug, patting her back. "Ssh, Care! Everything is going to be okay. You are strong. If your father had been here now, he would be so proud of you" soothed Stefan patting her back.

Caroline broke the hug and looked at told him, "Thanks for having me here, Stef. But I don't want to be a burden. I can't just live off you". "You are not a burden to me. But I know you will be bored if you had nothing to do. So I have talked about a job for you at my work place. Let's see", said Stefan thoughtfully. Caroline's face lit up and she exclaimed, "Oh, that's great! What would I ever do without you, my dear friend?"

"Nothing I presume", Stefan said with his best poker face. Caroline huffed and threw the pillow right at his face. He grinned evilly and was about to start a pillow fight when Caroline raised her hands in defeat and declared, "No, no. I am really tired today. Please let me just shower and have a good night's sleep". Stefan frowned and warned, "Fine, but you will pay for this one day". "Well, let's see. Good night", said Caroline.

"Good night", smiled Stefan as he left the room. "That was a narrow escape" murmured Caroline knowing it never ended well for her when they started a pillow fight. However her happiness was short lived as a pillow smacked right at her face. Caroline was furious on hearing Stefan's laugh but he was gone by the time she turned to direct her evil glare.

However, a phone rang as she was plotting her revenge. It was Stefan's. He had left it there on her bed. Thinking it wouldn't hurt much, she answered the call. Before she could say hello, an accented voice barked from the other end, "What the hell, Stefan? I gave you one job. But you couldn't even do _that_ right!"

Caroline was beyond annoyed by this stranger. Whatever may be the matter, he shouldn't start a conversation by shouting. Deciding to teach him a lesson or two in communication, she said, "You know, it is rude to shout at someone without even exchanging pleasantries".

The stranger seemed to be a little taken aback on hearing a female voice but recovered quickly when he retorted, "Well, it is strange coming from a person who is rude enough to answer other's call. Now, put Stefan on line". Caroline already started to hate this guy and shouted, "Now, who are you to tell me what to do? Are you my boss?" The stranger just seemed to be more riled up as he said, "No. I am Stefan's boss".

**A/N: So here it is. I hope it didn't disappoint anyone. I personally like Klebekah bond and Steroline friendship. I want to know what you think. So please review. **


	3. Chapter 3

_**Give Me Love Like Never Before**_

_**A/N: Thank you guys for your support. I wanted to express my love for Klaroline with a story but never expected I would myself enjoy it this much. Special thanks to Mystery Girl3, Ktclaire99, CharlSmith, TheBlueBloodPrincess and Guest for your sweet reviews.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD**_

_**Chapter 3**_

Mikaelson Motors was one of the established automobile companies in the world. It was started way back in 1963 in England. It became quite popular in Europe but success in the American continent was still a dream then. However, Mr. Mikaelson revolutionized car production in US in 1970s.

Though, it was still a leading company, it wasn't the best one in the business. And that was what Klaus tried to achieve. Klaus had always wanted to be the best in everything. He hated to lose. He put in his best effort whenever he took up a job and tried to excel in it. His thirst for achieving bigger and better was what drove him to achieve many things.

According to his employees, Klaus was a mysterious guy. They could never predict their boss. Sometimes he could be the most charming person on earth, while there were times when just an icy glare of his could send shivers down their spine.

Klaus thus used his charming and ruthless demeanor to his advantage. There had been victims for his both sides. Camille, the receptionist was one of them. She had always been enamored by him. She was confident and lovely to others but when it came to him she could barely string a proper sentence.

"Good Morning, Mr. Richard. It's been too long. How do you do?" asked Camille smiling politely. Richard returned the greeting by saying, "Oh! It's always a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Camille!" winking at her. Camille had been working here long enough to know when guys were flirting. So she responded with a flirty smile. But she was distracted by the blonde hair which appeared behind Richard.

Her heart skipped a beat when the guy she had a huge crush on approached her. "Hello, good morning, Camille" said Klaus with a cute smile. She had always liked his smile, though she had yearned for that boyish grin with dimples he sported when he was around Stefan, the most. "Good Morning, . Have a nice day!" greeted Camille with her sweetest smile.

"Well, thanks. Wish you the same", said Klaus already leaving for his room. Camille let out a disappointed sigh. Stefan, who had watched the whole exchange, shook his head smiling. Sometimes Klaus could be the most oblivious guy. Once they were out of shot, Stefan laughed and told, "Seriously? Wish you the same? That's the best you could come up with?"

Klaus looked utterly confused and asked baffled, "What?" "Please don't say you don't know that she has a crush on you. God, the whole office knows about it" completed Stefan. Klaus just appeared annoyed and said, "Oh sorry that I didn't know about such an important matter when I was worried about our lost chance in bidding."

Stefan sighed and answered, "Klaus! You know I quoted the lowest price possible. I just can't believe we didn't get it. But such things happen and it is not under our control." Klaus appeared furious when he spat, "Not under our control my foot. Our rival company, 'The Five' bid only a little less than us. I can't believe we lost to them".

"See you could not even control your anger. How could you…. wait. What do you mean there was only a small difference in the bidding?" asked Stefan a little suspiciously. "Well, there was only a difference of five hundred dollars", answered Klaus. Stefan appeared surprised by this new information and told, "How could the difference be so small? Unless…"

"Unless they already knew how much we were bidding", nodded Klaus understanding Stefan's line of thought. "I think there is a possibility that we may have a spy here" warned Stefan. "Yea, that is possible" agreed Klaus thoughtfully. Suddenly, a guy just called out Stefan across the hall as he approached him, "Hey Stefan! How are you? How is Elena? I missed you guys."

However when the guy saw Klaus, he stopped abruptly and said, "Oh, I am sorry, Mr. Mikaelson. I didn't see you". Klaus just smiled and told, "Oh its fine, Mr. Gilbert. And good morning to you too". Jeremy appeared flustered and mumbled a good morning hastily and left.

Stefan just smiled at that and turned to Klaus, "So, . How do you feel about tomorrow's party?" "You know how I feel about being around Mikael" answered Klaus annoyed. "Oh come on. It won't be that bad. It's fifty years celebration of our company after all", tried Stefan to convince Klaus. "Well, I hope you are right", sighed Klaus, "but really, thanks for being there for me, brother", completed Klaus sincerely.

Stefan smiled and teased, "Oh aren't you satisfied with the two brothers you already have?" "You see it is difficult to be satisfied when one happens to be upright and moral and the other happens to be annoying and irritating" complained Klaus. Stefan picked up his cup of coffee and said "So what do you say? Cheers to brotherhood?" Klaus smiled one of his genuine smiles and clinked his cup with Stefan's saying, "Cheers".

"I don't know, Elena. I just feel like something has changed. I feel like we have lost the um…" struggled the brunette girl with brown eyes. "You mean spark?" offered Caroline trying to help Elena's best friend Bonnie. "Yea, something like that", said Bonnie still uncomfortable.

Caroline completely understood Bonnie's uneasiness. Of course it will be awkward to talk about the relationship with your best friend when she happens to be your boyfriend's sister. "Its fine, Bonnie. Maybe you feel so because, of late he had been so busy with his work. I am sure you could talk it out" suggested Elena soothingly. Bonnie gave a reassuring smile and nodded.

Caroline was first hesitant when Elena invited her over to Bonnie's house. She wasn't sure how she would fit between two best friends. But surprisingly, Bonnie had been really friendly and didn't make her feel like a stranger between two friends. Caroline immediately took a liking for her.

"So, how about we girls spend a day shopping tomorrow? It would be so much fun and we could get to know each other better" suggested Bonnie looking at Caroline. Caroline was excited at the prospect of shopping and nodded enthusiastically. However, Elena just sighed and said, "We can't. There is a Mikaelson's party tomorrow for which you were also invited by Jeremy".

"Yea, right. I forgot about it completely. But if it is Mikaelson's party, wouldn't Rebekah be there? Are you fine with it?" enquired Bonnie. Caroline was really getting frustrated about this Rebekah girl that everyone was talking about. So she finally asked, "Hold on. Can anyone please tell me who Rebekah is? And what is this big deal about her?"

Elena just scowled on hearing that name leaving Bonnie to do the explanation, "Well, Rebekah is Stefan's boss's sister and also his ex-girlfriend". Caroline appeared genuinely surprised as Bonnie continued, "Though they had broken up, they still are good friends. Elena hates her and it doesn't help that she always wants to rile up Elena whenever she sees her".

"And that is why I hate Rebekah Mikaelson and dread the time I have to meet her in person again and endure her taunting." Elena completed with distaste. "Oh, don't let anyone get to you, Elena. Stefan loves you and only that should matter" pacified Caroline. "I guess you are right. Alright, I think it is getting late, Bon. See you in the party tomorrow. Come on, Caroline" said Elena and left.

At Elena's retreating figure, Caroline shook her head and whispered, "She is totally jealous". Bonnie laughed and mouthed, "Absolutely". She then proceeded to hug Caroline and told, "It was really great meeting you, Caroline. I guess we would make great friends. Finally found someone with whom I could talk about my boyfriend without feeling guilty". Caroline smiled and said, "Oh the pleasure is all mine. We will make one hell of friends. Good Bye. Totally looking forward to seeing you tomorrow".

Damon hated waiting outside his little brother's office just to spend some time with his best friend. It just reiterated the fact that his brother did some fancy job while he was stuck being a reporter for a local newspaper. But if there was anyone who understood him completely it was Alaric Saltzman.

It was true the guy had a weird name, but his ability to see past Damon's façade compensated that. Damon and Alaric met in one of the employees' party of Mikaelson Motors when Damon accompanied Stefan. They didn't hit it off right away. But when they did become friends, Damon got a best friend for the first time in his whole life.

"Oh see, who is here? The great Lord Damon Salvatore who didn't even have time for his poor friend since he was busy seducing a young lady", said Alaric scathingly. "God, Ric! Get over it already! It was just one time", tried Damon to cool down his friend. "Yea right. It was just one time this week" answered Alaric still not convinced.

"See, I am really sorry, ok? I just was acting stupid as I always do. Can't you forget it this time? I mean I can make it up to you!" said Damon. "Oh how sweet! Are you guys having a couple's fight?" came a voice behind them. "No" shouted both the guys to see Jenna with mischief sparkling in her eyes. "What, no? But then why are you guys fighting", asked Jenna innocently.

Damon gave an exasperated smile and told in a false sweet voice, "You see, honey. This is called a fight between friends or…" "A lovers' spat" teased Jenna enjoying their reactions. "See, let me get this straight. Why the hell would you call this a lover's spat?" asked Damon finally losing his patience.

"Because you two are lovers. You see that's what the whole office thinks about you two. You know, you don't need to hide it anymore. We are not against this. We are cool about it. And please make up soon. You are such a cute couple" said Jenna before bidding them good bye leaving both Damon and Alaric stunned.

Alaric looked horrified while Damon looked like he couldn't believe what just happened. "Great! It is so great. Now the whole office thinks I am a homosexual and I find this out from the woman I have liked for two years now" groaned Alaric. "Oh come on, Ric. You know she is just messing with us. I am sure she likes you too. You know, you can ask her out tomorrow at the party. I will help you" offered Damon.

Alaric looked relieved and asked, "Do you think she would say yes?" "Why not? Look at you, tall, smart and handsome. Who would say no to you". Alaric smiled a little at Damon's compliment. But Damon never liked to finish it good. So he added, "Even if she does reject you, I would be happy to take her place".

"Please remind me again why I am dragged to this party?" shouted Caroline as Stefan and Elena were quite busy getting ready. Caroline honestly didn't know why she was going to the fifty years celebration of a company she had nothing to do with except for the fact that she had managed to fight with its boss without even meeting him in person.

Caroline was shocked when she found out the guy with whom she was arguing was Stefan's boss or more precisely her future boss. She had freaked out and gave the phone to Stefan immediately. Though Stefan had assured her that nothing was wrong and it was just a small misunderstanding, Caroline was not completely convinced.

She was sure she had just blown up her chance of getting a job and she was definitely not happy at the prospect of meeting in person. "Oh, it is not like the world has come to an end. It is just a party and I am sure Klaus would not hold grudges against anyone", tried Stefan when he was met with a snort from Elena.

Stefan frowned at her and told, "You are not really helping the cause, you know?" "Well it was just funny. Caroline, look. Klaus is the most arrogant guy I have ever met", started Elena while Stefan shook his head in denial, "But, why should we care about some stupid guy? Let's enjoy the party with our friends. Damon, Jeremy and Bonnie would be there too".

"No, it is not just about Klaus. I just don't feel like dressing up today. It feels depressing", sighed Caroline. Elena patted her sympathetically while Stefan said, "All the more reason you should come to this party. You should have fun, meet some hot guys and", hesitated Stefan before he added, "maybe hook up with one instead of wallowing in self pity. You should prove to yourself that you are over him". Caroline understood what he meant and nodded. That's right, she had to get over it and she would do it tonight.

_**A/N: Why is Caroline depressed about that particular day? What will happen at the party? Two new characters in the next chapter and some real Klaroline interaction will be there. Please review about your thoughts and if possible spread the word about this story. I don't have a tumblr account. So it would be of great help. Sorry for any typos in the chapter.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_Give Me Love Like Never Before_

_A/N: I am so sorry for the long delay. My system crashed completely and I got a new laptop only last week. I lost everything I had written already and had to rewrite everything. Added to that I had my project work. So I am really sorry. So without further delay the next chapter. This is the longest chapter I have written yet. Hope you like it!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own TVD. _

_**Chapter 4**_

Caroline watched the hall amazed by its grandeur. When Stefan told about the fifty year anniversary of the Mikaelson motors, she thought it would be a boring party where all the old ones would gather together and toast for the company. But she had never been so wrong in her life. This party appeared vibrant and lively as ever. It screamed money everywhere. "Wow! It looks like one awesome party!" exclaimed Caroline. Elena scoffed and replied, "Well, Mikaelsons are known to be great show offs". Stefan sighed and thought this was only the beginning of one long night.

However, Caroline seemed to agree with Elena. The theme of the party appeared to be to boast off about their profits rather than their history. It would have been better if they had focused on how the company was started as a small one and due to their hard work and effort had grown to be one of the leading automobile companies in the world. It would have made everyone appreciate their work.

Caroline was brought out of her musings by a blonde girl who rushed to Stefan's side on seeing him. "Hey, Stefan! It is lovely to meet you again", greeted that blonde girl. She appeared beautiful in her expensive green gown but she had an air of haughtiness that made Caroline nervous. "Bekah! The pleasure is all mine. How are you doing? Actually we were talking about how great this party is!" Stefan asked.

"So this is the infamous Rebekah Mikaelson", thought Caroline. She understood why Stefan had dated her once. She appeared as a confident, pretty and independent woman and Stefan had always loved girls with such attributes. "I am doing great! Do you really like it? Nik gave me complete freedom in organizing this party and I hope I haven't let him down!", told Rebekah sincerely, completely ignoring Caroline and Elena.

"Well you have done brilliantly" complimented Stefan for which Elena rolled her eyes. Stefan continued by saying, "Hey, by the way this is Caroline, my best friend since childhood". Rebekah immediately turned her attention towards Caroline which made Caroline slightly nervous. She didn't know why but Rebekah appeared a lot intimidating when she looked straight into her eyes. "Oh hi! Stefan has mentioned you when we were dating. Speaking of which where is your lovely girlfriend Elena?" Rebekah asked curiously.

"Hello, Rebekah", greeted Elena with a fake smile. Rebekah returned it with an equal unpleasant smile and Caroline could sense the growing tension between them. "Oh, here you are! Are you fine, Elena? You look so pale. Not that you looked great the last time we met. But you look even worse if that is even possible", asked Rebekah with fake sympathy. "Actually I am great, Rebekah. Thank you for your concern but actually I am good. Maybe I look tired because we had a great time yesterday celebrating our three year anniversary", smirked Elena knowing well that she had won that round of battle as she watched Rebekah's face change from smirk to scowl.

Stefan watched helplessly as the two continued to attack each other sarcastically. Relief came in the form of a handsome guy with a cute smile. "Stefan, here you are. I have been searching for you everywhere. Nik wants to see you.", said that charming guy. He suddenly turned towards Caroline and asked, "And who is this pretty lady? Want to have a drink with me, honey?", winking at her.

Before Caroline could reply Stefan hastily told, "She is Caroline, my best friend. Turn off your charm. She is off limits". The guy's smirk only widened and said, "Forbidden fruits taste sweeter. Anyway I am Kol Mikaelson" and extended his hand. Stefan rolled his eyes and urged, "Come on. We have to go. Or your brother will kill you!". "Fine! But you owe me a drink, Caroline dear", smirked Kol and left with an impatient Stefan.

"Well, I think it is time for me to move. Caroline, here is my advice for you. If you really want to enjoy the party, leave her side", said Rebekah pointing at Elena. "She is dull as a dishwasher and will ruin your evening". Before Elena could reply, Rebekah swiftly left the place leaving Elena huffing. "Why does she hate you so much? I know you two can't be best friends. But still hating each other's guts?" wondered Caroline. "You see she is just sour that Stefan is not her boyfriend. Well, she is a Mikaelson. What could I say more?", shrugged Elena. "Why? What is wrong with being a Mikaelson?", asked Caroline curiously.

"None of the Mikaelsons have a good reputation. Mikael, their father, is said to be a ruthless man. Anyone who crosses him will never even be able to repent it. Klaus is a self obsessed guy who would do anything to achieve what he wants. Rebekah is a spoiled brat who thinks no one is better than her and there is Kol who is the world's biggest womanizer. Only Elijah, the eldest one is an exception. He is said to be honorable and moral. But I haven't met him personally. So not sure what is true", summarized Elena.

Caroline wasn't sure if what Elena said was entirely true. She was never the one to pass judgment on anyone without knowing them, but the conviction with which Elena told and her encounters with three of the Mikaelsons so far had just confirmed their reputation, especially Klaus'. She just wanted to enjoy this party without running into him.

Klaus was waiting outside the giant doors feeling nervous. Klaus was never nervous. He was cocky, angry, arrogant, manipulative, dominating, flirty, rude and charming but never nervous. If there was one man in the whole world who could make him feel nervous, it was Mikael. He had always made Klaus feel worthless. Even when he was a child, Klaus was the one to bear Mikael's fury. As a little boy, Klaus had always wondered why his father terrorized him the most of all his siblings. He came to know about the reason when he was sixteen.

Ever since he had vowed to never let Mikael get to him. Though he managed to appear indifferent when he was around Mikael, it was still very difficult to ignore his taunting. One of the reasons Klaus took over the American business of their company was to stay far away from Mikael who was in London. He could operate independently here and actually worked very hard to get to this level. So he was obviously nervous when Mikael told that he would be making an important announcement this evening. He was worried what trick Mikael had up his sleeve this time.

Klaus was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he failed to notice a tall man with dark hair behind him. So he jumped a little when the stranger touched his shoulders and asked, "When are you planning to stop staring at the door and actually go inside?" Klaus face broke into a smile when he saw the guy in the black suit. "Elijah! It's been a while since we met" said Klaus hugging Elijah. To say he was happy to see his brother would be an understatement. He was elated to finally see his elder brother. Though he had never shown it, Klaus had a great deal of love and respect for Elijah. Whenever he screwed up things, Elijah would always be there to help him.

"Yeah, I suppose. What with you so busy running your own show, it is really been a while", said Elijah smiling sadly. It was really bad that their family couldn't be together. Mikael and Elijah were in London. Klaus and Rebekah were in New York while Kol just have never been in one place. So it was really difficult to see the whole family together. "So how is your law firm? Anything good?" enquired Klaus. When Elijah completed his studies, everyone thought he would join their family business. But he opted to start a law firm instead.

"You know about it. It is still the same. Hopefully we get a big case this year" answered Elijah. "So where is everyone? I came to this boring party only to meet you all". "Everyone is inside. The meeting is about to start. Come join us", told Klaus. "What? No! You know I am not interested. It is not my cup of tea" complained Elijah. "Oh! Come on! You are a board member. So you need to be present at the meeting" insisted Klaus dragging Elijah along with him.

When they entered the meeting hall, Klaus's eyes first met Mikael's who had a twisted smile on his lips which confirmed that he had a devious plan for the evening. He tried to clear his mind of those thoughts and instead focused his attention on his squabbling siblings. "I heard you were out all night yesterday, Rebekah. What a scandal?", teased Kol always finding pleasure in riling up his only sister. "If you don't stop talking, the next thing to come out of your mouth will be your teeth", warned Rebekah. Rebekah and Kol were the most entertaining pair in the Mikaelson's family. They always fought over trivial things and made each other mad.

Klaus and Elijah always found them amusing and only intervened when it went worse. Just when Klaus and Elijah thought it was becoming interesting, Rebekah noticed them and stopped their fight. Kol too saw them and appeared pleasantly surprised. "Wow! Is this a dream? Our whole family in one room? This must be some sort of a miracle!" exclaimed Kol all the while smiling widely. Rebekah completely tuned out Kol and went forward to hug Elijah.

Truth be told, she really missed her eldest brother as the other two were nothing but pain. "I am so glad that you could make it, 'Lijah. I was really tired of being around these fools", confessed Rebekah. Klaus just shrugged while Kol smirked when Elijah looked at them with a reprimanding look. Their little get together was however broken when Mikael called, "I think enough time was wasted for stupid reunions. If you could all settle in your seats, we could start the meeting" looking pointedly at his children. 'Typical Mikael', thought Klaus. He was never happy that all his children got along pretty well. He had always been a different parent.

"As you all gathered here know, we are here to celebrate the fifty year anniversary of our Mikaelson Motors. It has grown into a leading automobile company only due to the effort, dedication and hard work of our forefathers and our tradition of following their footsteps. Since I became the CEO of this company my only goal was to carry on my family's legacy. I may have come across to some as heartless but it was all in the best interest of the company. I have never tolerated failures or disappointments ever. I am so proud to say that I have led the company capably over the decade and have actually convened the meeting to say that I am stepping down as the CEO of this company."

A shocked murmur swept through the hall which was instantly silenced when Mikael raised his hand. "I am so happy to inform you all that my son will take my place from here on. Though I have never been completely satisfied with him, I am sure he would lead you all capably". A big round of applause went around the table as Klaus appeared shocked beyond words. As Mikael dismissed the meeting, everyone lined up to congratulate him. The loudest of them all were his siblings who were so happy for him.

Klaus still couldn't believe Mikael did this and searched for any ulterior motive behind this announcement. But everything cleared up when he met his father outside the hall. He whispered to Klaus, "I may hate you. But I still know how much you love this company, my boy. Don't worry." Klaus was left there completely shocked by the sudden turn of events.

Bonnie debated with herself if she was right in coming to this party. She had thought this party may give Jeremy a chance to spend some time with her. However, he had been so busy that they hardly even talked. Elena was with Caroline, busy keeping Rebekah away from Stefan. That left her all alone in this big party. Sometimes she wondered whether she made a mistake by dating Jeremy. She knew Jeremy loved her, but honestly they barely even see other these days. Still, she loved Jeremy with her heart and it was only a matter of time, till he knows how to balance his professional and personal life. Whatever happens, nothing could come between her and Jeremy.

Kol flirted with a pretty girl wrapping his hand around her waist and sipping his drink. He loved being around girls. Many thought of him as a womanizer, when he was just a playboy. He never forced girls to be with him. He always used his charm to get his way. No girl has ever said no to him. They fell for his smile or charm or his smooth talking. If he failed in all the above, his family name always got him the girl. The girl who was on his arm started giggling and touched his shoulder suggestively. He always hated it when a girl giggled. It made them unattractive and stupid. But unfortunately most girls he met had that awful habit.

Elijah, who had been watching his brother fooling around, approached him and said, "Can I have a word with you, Kol?" Kol signaled the girl to leave for a moment and faced Elijah with a questioning look on his face. "Don't you think it was really weird of father to pass on the responsibility to Niklaus?", questioned Elijah. "Yeah! It may be surprising, but I think it was only a matter of time for Nik to take over the company", shrugged Kol. "You are right. But still something is suspiciously off here" speculated Elijah. "Oh come on Elijah! It is a party! Have fun!" urged Kol.

"You mean like how you are having fun? Honestly when are you going to get serious about girls?", asked Elijah. "Why should I be serious about girls? I have my share of fun with them. But most of them are either dumb or clingy. No one has ever kept me interested for long. I will surely inform you when I see one" winked Kol. Elijah just shook his head and said, "Whatever! I am going to the main hall for the big announcement. You coming with me?" "You go. I will be right behind you!" replied Kol taking another sip of his drink. Elijah nodded and left Kol alone. Kol just looked around for anything interesting when he saw a woman with dark hair and olive skin playing with a two year old child.

The woman was entertaining the child by playing with a balloon. However, the balloon came off her grasp and started floating towards him. Kol left his place and secured the balloon and walked towards the child. "Here it is, honey. You have a pretty daughter, Mrs…?" asked Kol handing over the balloon to the child. "This is not my child. I am just taking care of the girl while her mother went to the restroom. I am Bonnie Bennett by the way!" said Bonnie extending her hand. Kol shook her hand saying, "I knew you were too young to have a child. But the way you connected with her confused me". They were interrupted by the mother of the girl who thanked Bonnie for taking care of her daughter.

"Well, I happen to be a teacher. So I think it was easier to handle a child" shrugged Bonnie. Kol appeared impressed, "Wow, woman with a brain. Definitely a keeper", causing Bonnie to blush a little. "So how about a drink together?" suggested Kol. "Sorry. I am waiting for my boyfriend", said Bonnie. "Oh come on, darling! Just one drink. It won't hurt anyone" pleaded Kol turning his charm on. "I am sorry. But I am not interested" rejected Bonnie getting irritated with the stranger. "Really? Are you going to waste your time waiting for your boyfriend who is stupid enough to leave such a beautiful girl alone?" argued Kol not backing down. "How I spend my time is none of your business. And you have no right to speak about my boyfriend. Who are you, anyway?" asked Bonnie.

"Mr. Mikaelson", called Jeremy out of nowhere. "Glad to meet you sir. I am Jeremy Gilbert. I work in the financial department" told Jeremy introducing himself. "Ah! Jeremy, I remember you. You are Stefan's friend, right?" said Kol shaking Jeremy's hand. "Yes, Mr. Mikaelson. Oh I forgot. Bonnie this is Kol Mikaelson. This is my girlfriend Bonnie, sir", said Jeremy completely unaware of the scene that took place before. Bonnie watched shocked as Kol smirked. "You have such a beautiful girlfriend, Jeremy. You are a lucky man" complimented Kol knowing full well that Bonnie was glaring at him right now. "Thank you, sir" replied Jeremy innocently. "Oh, do away with sir. Call me Kol" urged Kol. "I will try sir, sorry, Kol" stuttered Jeremy. "So shall we move to the main party" called Kol smirking. It was going to be an interesting evening nonetheless.

Klaus was standing there impatient for Mikael to make the big announcement. It had been his dream to take over this company. But he never thought it would happen so soon. Though he still was suspicious of Mikael's motive, he was still happy. Mikael went up the stage and caught everyone's attention in the party.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for being here to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of our prestigious company. I have to thank each and everyone, our hard working staffs, our understanding suppliers, our best customers, the media and marketing people, for our success. Without you all, nothing would have been possible. Our company may have had some downfalls but we never compensated on two things, quality and customer satisfaction. It will always be our company's motto. I am so happy to announce to you all on this wonderful occasion that my son will carry on our family's legacy. I am proud to announce Mr. Elijah Mikaelson as the next CEO of the Mikaelson Motors", completed Mikael beckoning Elijah to come on to the stage.

Klaus stood there completely shocked as an equally shocked and reluctant Elijah climbed the stage. Klaus felt his dreams crumble in front of him and felt numb of all the pain. Mikael did it again. He succeeded in making Klaus' life miserable. He should have realized Mikael would go to any length to humiliate him. How could he be so stupid to actually believe for even one second that Mikael was going to hand over the company to him? He just wanted to get out of the suffocating place. Klaus moved swiftly out of there turning completely deaf to the calls of Stefan and Rebekah.

Caroline breathed in the fresh air deeply. She needed it really as she was close to a break down inside the party hall. Some guy suddenly proposed to his girlfriend in front of everyone and it was difficult for her to stay there when everyone rushed to congratulate the couple. It had been one hour since it took place but still she had difficulty trying to forget it. That was why she was drinking herself to full hoping that would numb her pain. She thought of refilling her glass in the open bar when she noticed a guy trying to drown himself in drinks. He appeared smart and handsome with blonde hair. He had folded his sleeves up which showed his well built abs. His tie was crooked and he appeared devastated.

Curious as to how someone could be more upset than her in this magnificent party, Caroline approached the stranger cautiously. "Bad day, huh?", asked Caroline hoping to get the guy talking. He realized her presence only then and appeared rather indifferent on seeing her. He just shrugged and replied, "Bad decade" and completely drained his drink. "Well, I suppose nothing is irreparable! I mean it can't be that bad!" consoled Caroline completely unsure herself why she was trying to make a stranger feel better.

He just scoffed and said, "I think it would be better to mind your own business. I am not in the mood for your sympathy". Caroline was shocked with his rudeness and still couldn't give up. She just thought that it was unfair that a guy was upset over some insignificant thing when she was the one who should be crying her eyes out at the moment. "You know everyone have their own problems. Don't think you are the only one to suffer and justify your behavior!" argued Caroline. The guy was getting frustrated with her and retorted "Oh really? What is the most pressing problem of your life now? You broke your nails?"

"No. The guy whom I loved for eight years cancelled our wedding which was supposed to take place today. And did I mention the fact that I lost my father last week who left us for his boyfriend when I was young?" burst out Caroline. That seemed to shut the guy's mouth. She was happy about that but cringed inside over the fact that she had just spilled all her dark secrets to a total stranger. She wasn't sure why she did that. She guessed she had been dying to tell to someone about all her worries and the guy just triggered the outbreak. He had the decency to look ashamed and accepted with a simple, "You win". Caroline got flustered by his sudden admission. You see she had always been capable of winning an argument but incapable of how to respond when one accepted their defeat. "Well, um… yeah, ok", sighed Caroline.

Klaus silently observed the girl before him. She appeared really beautiful and he couldn't see why anyone would leave her. She did appear feisty but nonetheless had a good heart which she proved by trying to console a total stranger. "You see. I don't know you. But I can say that it is the guy's loss. You have nothing to worry about" said Klaus. He didn't know when the roles reversed but he just couldn't help but add. Caroline appeared surprised but shrugged when she answered, "Well, I am not worried. I must say I am just disappointed that my wedding was called off. You know every girl dreams of her wedding from the age of five".

Klaus chuckled and told, "Yeah, I know. I have a younger sister and her favorite pastime was to dress up as a bride. So who are you? I am sorry. But you don't work here, right?" "No, I don't. My friend works here. I just accompanied him. Actually I was hoping I could meet the great Klaus Mikaelson" joked Caroline, the alcohol making her to speak boldly without thinking about the consequences. Klaus was taken aback on hearing his name. He was intrigued and decided to play dumb for some time and asked, "Klaus Mikaelson? Why do you want to meet him?"

"Well, I …"stopped Caroline suddenly aware of how she was about to bash the boss of the company in his own party. If not for her, she should keep her mouth shut at least for Stefan's sake. The guy already knew too much about her and given her luck he may even be an employee of the company. "I just heard so many things about him that I just wanted to meet him" said Caroline trying to control the damage. "All good things I presume?" asked Klaus with a raised eyebrow for which Caroline answered "You bet!" "Anyway where is he? I didn't see him up there" enquired Caroline. Klaus just turned away and said "No idea!" taking another swig of his drink as reality hit him hard once again. He didn't know what to do. It appeared as if his brain had stopped working.

He suddenly faced Caroline and asked "I was just wondering, Miss…?" "Caroline" prompted Caroline. "Yeah, Caroline. What does one do when he doesn't get a reward he deserves? How does he proceed knowing full well that his reward is with one person who is totally unworthy of it?" enquired Klaus. Caroline thought for a few seconds sipping her drink before answering, "Hmmm… I am not sure. Maybe prove to everyone that he is worthy of the reward. But he shouldn't be disheartened by it. He should show everyone how they had made a mistake and display his skills for everyone to see. Maybe even take up a challenge".

Klaus seemed to contemplate on what she said and instantly brightened as an idea struck him. He appeared happy and said, "You know what? You are brilliant. Thank you. It was nice meeting you, Caroline". "Yeah, you too… hey stop what is your name?" shouted Caroline as the guy seemed to be in a hurry to go inside. When he didn't even turn back, Caroline just sighed and settled comfortably in her chair.

_**A/N: Hope you were satisfied with the chapter. Finally klaroline interaction. Please review this chapter and let me know what you think.**_

_**Thanks to CharmedAndDangerous22, HighOnLife, AgathaN, lovelyelephants, SkyBlue 1309 and guests for your wonderful reviews.**_

_**Bhawana: thanks for your review. Don't worry. Klaus and Caroline won't get together soon. I know I take long time to update but still give short chapters. I am sorry. I will try to give longer chapters. Hope you are happy with this chapter's length. Please stick with this story.**_

_**Guest: Hi to you too guest from Germany! Namaste from India ;)**_

_**And special thanks to Mystery Girl3 for reviewing every chapter! Please continue to do so **___


	5. Chapter 5

_**Give Me Love Like Never Before**_

_**A/N: So here is the next chapter. Thank you guys for following, favoriting and reviewing. Hope you all like this chapter.**_

_**Chapter 5**_

"Could anyone please tell me what the hell is going on here?" shouted Elijah. To say he was angry about the recent developments would be an understatement. He was furious about the fact that his father had announced him as the CEO of the company he held no interest whatsoever. They already had their spat about him wanting to only be a lawyer. Mikael tried to force him to take on the company three years ago.

Elijah had rejected his offer and held onto his decision to realize his dream. Mikael tried to crush it by threatening to disown him if he didn't cave in. But Elijah was firm with his choice and refused to submit to his father's threat. Years later, he faced the same problem all over again. "Now there is no need for shouting, Elijah. You are the CEO of one of the biggest automobile companies in the world. So, act like one" reprimanded Mikael.

"Father, I had already made it pretty clear that I am not interested in joining our company. So, why would you do this?" asked Elijah still not sure why he was in such a situation in the first place. "You wanted to practice law, didn't you? How well are you doing it, anyway?" asked Mikael. "I may not be flourishing but still I get to do what I like" countered Elijah.

"Oh really? Do you really want to work under some stupid lawyer when you could be the emperor of the Mikaelson motors?" prompted Mikael. Elijah looked hurt but still argued, "But that is my dream, to own a law firm." Mikael sighed heavily and said, "How could you be so blind, son? I am offering you the best in a gold platter but you disregard it? I am your father; I only want the best for you!"

"But Klaus is your son too. Don't you think he deserves this a lot more than I do?" asked Elijah. "I know. But he needs to learn a few things before he takes over. And you definitely needed to be shown the right path" reckoned Mikael. "Oh, you can't always decide what is right for others, father. I am resigning from my post right now" threatened Elijah. "You wouldn't dare" hissed Mikael menacingly.

He took a deep breath and told, "Fine. Here is the deal. You will be the CEO for one year and do as I say and I will give you enough money to start your own law firm if you still want to leave the company at that time. Do we have a deal?" Elijah looked as if he was trying hard to see through any pitfalls in the deal. Finally he agreed even though he knew that he would definitely regret this later.

"What are we really doing here?" demanded Stefan in hushed tone as he guided Rebekah on the dance floor. "We are dancing. Can't you spare one dance for your ex, Stefan?" asked Rebekah teasingly. The official ball commenced after the big announcement. Stefan and Rebekah tried their best to pacify Klaus, the only problem being his absence.

"It is not funny, Rebekah. We have to find Klaus before he does something rash. You know him, right?" enquired Stefan. "I understand him completely. That is why I am asking you to give him some time alone. If we talk to him right now, he would only be more aggravated" reasoned Rebekah. Stefan nodded to show that he understood what she meant.

"You know, Nik was really excited about this party. He was even more excited when Mikael announced he would be handing over the company to him. So, I am sure he is devastated about Mikael's manipulation" sympathized Rebekah. "How could a father play his own son?" asked Stefan confused over the fact that a father enjoyed inflicting pain to his own son.

"Well, it is new for you. Isn't it? Welcome to the dysfunctional Mikaelson family" said Rebekah. "What exactly is the problem between them?" "I don't know. But he had always been like that. He had always treated Nik the worst. Never knew the reason for it. Nik feared him till he was sixteen. Then I don't know what happened he was indifferent to Mikael's taunting. He moved to New York, started his own life and was happily a workaholic until today happened" explained Rebekah.

Stefan looked closely at her realizing she hated Mikael as much as Klaus did. "You hate your father too. Don't you?" enquired Stefan cautiously. "I do. I will always blame him for the loss of the best things in my life: My mom's death, my family's separation and Nik's transformation. All of them were Mikael's fault. And I will hate him forever for these" answered an emotional Rebekah.

At that moment, she just looked like a vulnerable little girl who lost her mom to Stefan. He hugged her to console her unaware of Elena's eyes which were shooting daggers at them. "I wanted to be away from him, Stefan. That is one of the reasons I left London. Also I wanted to be with Nik, the brother I loved. But he has become a shadow of his true self" confessed Rebekah. "Klaus still cares about you, Rebekah. You need to…"

Stefan was interrupted by Klaus who to their bewilderment was standing on the stage with a glass of champagne and called "Attention, ladies and gentlemen! Hope you all are having a wonderful evening." "He is drunk" observed Rebekah. "I am so sorry for interrupting. But I promise you it won't take much of your time" continued Klaus. "First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr. Elijah Mikaelson on taking over Mikaelson motors. I am pretty sure he would do the job efficiently. After all it was his dream to become the CEO of our family business" said Klaus faking a smile all the while looking directly at Elijah.

"Now on this special day I would like to make another important announcement. Our European and American branches have always been competent. Though both are equally efficient, it is not a secret that the American branch has always outdone the European. So, we the employees of the American branch are proud to announce on the fifty year anniversary of our company that we are going to introduce Hybrid SUVs in the United States."

"As you all know all our competitors have introduced such a model already in the market. So our challenge is to give them a better mileage giving, less fuel consuming and more environment friendly vehicle. We accept this challenge and vow to fulfill our promise to our customers. On a lighter note, be careful Elijah. The American branch may one day overtake the main one in London" laughed Klaus with no humor at all. But a round of laughter went through the hall. "So cheers to the Hybrid" said Klaus raising a toast. Everyone in the hall raised their glasses as well while Mikael was fuming at the corner.

Caroline was really drunk as she made her way to the hall in search of Stefan or Elena. She had spent way too much time outside that she had started to regret it. After that stranger guy left her all her fears and insecurities hit her full force. She really didn't want to be left alone. When she made it to the hall, the whole room was really silent. It was actually the opposite of how it was when she left. She observed that everyone's attention was directed towards the man on the stage.

'I thought the announcement was over' thought Caroline. When she focused on the man standing on the stage, she recognized him as the one she had drinks with outside, to her own surprise. She had no idea what he was doing there. Maybe he works for the company. Maybe he was announcing something important. But none of what he said made sense since she was buzzed. Suddenly everyone laughed for no reason. 'Oh! Is he a performer? Like a standup comedian?' she questioned herself.

She really got frustrated and asked the nearest guy. "Who is this guy making jokes in a serious party like this?" enquired Caroline. The guy looked as if she was out of mind and asked, "You don't know, Klaus Mikaelson? The guy responsible for this very party you are attending?" Caroline looked shocked, "Are you sure? I… I mean… is he the one who is the boss of Mikaelson motors US?" asked Caroline hoping it was all just a nightmare. "The one and only Klaus Mikaelson" answered the guy and left giving her a weird look. Wow, great! Now she was going to work under the person whom she not only yelled at but also the one who knew all her secrets.

.

"Stefan, there he is" pointed out Rebekah. Stefan looked where Rebekah pointed and found Klaus getting down the stage all the while glaring at Mikael and Elijah. "He is definitely in a bad mood. We need to get to him" urged Stefan ushering Rebekah with him. But they were blocked by Elena who stood in their way. "Stefan, I think it is time to go home. Now that the party is over and everyone had a share of you" said Elena throwing a dirty look towards Rebekah, "I think it is time for us to leave".

"Elena now is not the time. I need to talk to Klaus" pleaded Stefan. "But Klaus is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Besides he has his lovable sister to take care of him" countered Elena. "Oh, are you that insecure, Elena? Are you afraid that if he spends more time with me, he would be back to loving me?" smirked Rebekah. "Will you two stop it? This is not the right time or place for your cat fight. Elena, I am sorry but I need to see Klaus. I will be back soon" told Stefan gesturing Rebekah to follow him.

"Honestly, Ric! I have never seen such a coward in my life" said Damon drowning his glass of drink. Alaric had once again failed to ask Jenna out. Damon thought this party was the perfect opportunity for his best friend. But Alaric once again fumbled when it came to Jenna. "It is not as easy as you think" defended Alaric. "Yeah, it is really difficult to ask out the girl you love" scoffed Damon. "Well, if it is so easy, why don't you ask Elena out? You like her, don't you?" retorted Alaric.

Damon glared at him and told, "That is not true!" "Oh really? You think I don't notice the way you look at her or the way your face brightens on hearing her name?" continued Alaric. Damon didn't pay attention to any of this as he was busy looking at Elena who was alone at the bar. Sensing something was off; he proceeded to join her leaving Alaric behind. "Hey, what are you doing here alone in this wonderful party?" enquired Damon forcing her to face him.

"Hi Damon!" greeted Elena with fake enthusiasm, "Nice party, huh?" Damon frowned at her and asked, "Is something bothering you? If so you can talk to me. I am there for you." Elena smiled sadly and said, "Thanks, Damon. But that is the problem. I want to hear these words from Stefan. He is so busy worrying about his friend that he completely forgot about me" "No that is not true, Elena! He still cares for you" reassured Damon.

"I know that. But am I still his top priority? He is worried about Caroline, Rebekah and Klaus that he doesn't even have time to think about me" sighed Elena. Damon smiled a little and said, "But that is who Stefan is. He cares too much about others." "Yeah I know. That is one of the reasons I love him. But maybe for a change I want him to give more importance to me. I want the guy I love to put me as the top priority. Is it wrong to expect so, Damon?" asked Elena.

Damon wanted to exclaim that he was ready to treat her as princess if she said yes but instead shook his head and replied, "No, it is not. I think you deserve to be treated as a treasure. I am sure anyone would be lucky to have you." Elena was surprised with his sincere words. She had thought he would ridicule her if she confided about her insecurities but was pleasantly surprised to see him understand what she meant. Maybe, people always were not as you believe them to be.

Klaus got down the stage feeling a sense of accomplishment. He knew it was going to be a difficult task, but he was up and ready for the challenge. If Mikael thought that he could destroy him, he must realize that it would take more than a big announcement to do that. "Niklaus! Here you are!" called Elijah with relief. He was afraid that he would never have the chance to speak to his brother and prove his innocence.

"Ah! Elijah Mikaelson! The new CEO of the Mikaelson motors!" sneered Klaus. "Shut up, Klaus! I had no idea Mikael would pull such a trick today. You need to know I was totally unaware of it" explained Elijah. "Yeah I am sure that you are the innocent victim here" said Klaus sarcastically. He was about to turn and leave the place when Elijah put his hands on Klaus's shoulder and forced him to face him. "See! I don't need to prove anything to you! Whether you believe it or not, I am indeed as much of a victim here as you are!" reinforced Elijah.

Klaus laughed a humorless laugh and asked "So you are telling me, we both are in the same situation? You got the company not even working for its development for one day while I am left in shambles when I worked for it day and night for three years. Do you still think you are a victim here?" "But I never wanted this!" argued Elijah. "But did you deny it? No, right?" countered Klaus. When Elijah didn't have an answer he continued "I am tired of all the deception and manipulation around me. You have messed with the wrong person. But you will pay for it."

"See Elena, you are acting childishly", argued Stefan getting tired of Elena's jealousy. "Yeah right! Wanting my boyfriend to be present at my family get together is childish nowadays" retorted Elena changing out of her clothes she wore for that horrible party. "There is nothing wrong with it, but my friend needs me now of all times. So can't you just adjust for once?" asked Stefan not backing down even a bit. "I don't think this is anything about Klaus. Rebekah has an ulterior motive! She just wants to prove that you still care for her!" pointed out Elena.

"How many times should I say this? Rebekah and I are over. I love YOU, Elena! You have nothing to worry about!" stressed Stefan trying his best to make his girlfriend see sense. "But you still like her. She is your friend. And she still loves you. You never parted ways in a bad manner. What do you expect me to do?" asked Elena. "I expect you to trust me" replied Stefan with conviction as he looked straight into her eyes. "I trust you, Stefan" said Elena faltering a little.

"But you could meet Klaus even during work. I want you to meet my family this week. I am sure you will come if you love me" pleaded Elena hoping her boyfriend would understand her. She knew he loved her. She just wanted to know if he would still choose her if there was a choice between her and Rebekah or Klaus.

Stefan just shook his head and told, "You know what? This isn't about me meeting your parents anymore. It is about me not going to Klaus's house. You just want to prove a point. I never thought you would act like this" showing how disappointed he was of her actions. He started leaving his room while Elena regretted the turn their conversation took.

Caroline heard every bit of their argument even though she was sitting in the next room. She had always thought of Stefan and Elena as a perfect couple that she was surprised to see them fighting. She realized that every relationship was based on trust and none of them were perfect. She also didn't know which side to support.

Sure, Stefan was her best friend. Still, she couldn't blame Elena for being wary of Rebekah. She sighed and came out of her room to find the infamous Damon Salvatore lounging in the drawing room. "What are you doing here?" demanded Caroline not at all liking the elder Salvatore's presence at the moment.

Though he was taken aback on hearing her voice out of nowhere, Damon recovered quickly and said, "Last time I checked, it was my brother's apartment! So excuse me, if I wanted to see my brother."

Caroline narrowed her eyes and told, "I watched you console Elena in the party. Do remember that she is your brother's girlfriend". Damon's face turned serious for a second but quickly morphed into an irritated one while he answered "What are you even talking about, blondie? I would suggest you to just mind your own business".

Caroline was about to retort when Stefan walked inside the hall with a scowl on his face. "Hi Damon! Caroline! You are coming to my office, tomorrow!" informed Stefan apparently in no mood for chit chat. "What? Me? To your office? Why?" sputtered Caroline as the one thing she dreaded looked like it was about to happen. "Ah, he just misses a partner to play pool in their office! And everyone knows you are a champion, of course" answered Damon sarcastically.

Caroline glared at Damon while Stefan said "It is for your job. Remember I told you I would get a job for you in my office?" "You know what, Stefan? I think I will pass. Maybe I could get another job?" pleaded Caroline hoping Stefan would leave the subject. "You think you will pass? Are you mad? This is Mikaelson's motor we are talking about, Care. It is not that easy to get a job there. I used my connections to get you this job. Also, this is New York. You can't get a job that easily" reasoned Stefan.

Caroline looked guiltily at him. She wanted to tell everything that happened in the party that night. But she couldn't because Stefan was in a terrible mood and Damon was watching them like a hawk. He had this smile on his face which looked as if he enjoyed every minute of her squirming. "I don't think I would be comfortable working in your company, Stef. You know I don't think it is good for our friendship" tried Caroline desperately to get him to drop the idea.

Stefan looked confused for a moment and then looked as if he just realized the truth. "For god's sake, if this is anything about the phone call, forget it already. It is not such a big deal!" clarified Stefan. 'If it was only that simple' thought Caroline. "Care, look. I understand that you are nervous about working in a new company. But I promise you it will be great. I will always be there for you. Got it?" asked Stefan. "Ok, fine. I will come tomorrow" sighed Caroline as she accepted her defeat.

She had never been able to say no to Stefan. That was one of her biggest weaknesses. "By the way, what type of job is mine, Stefan?" asked Caroline hoping it was something that didn't involve Klaus. "Well, you are good at organizing. So I thought this would suit you. You are going to be Klaus' personal assistant" said Stefan beaming. "Oh, perfect" whistled Damon happily from behind her back as Caroline closed her eyes in resignation. There was no escaping from fate.

"So be ready by nine tomorrow, Care" told Stefan as he turned to Damon. "Thanks for the tie today, bro" said Stefan handing over the tie to Damon. "Could you do me a favor? Could you please drop off Elena in her house? It is getting late". Damon looked hesitant as Elena came out of Stefan's room saying, "No need for anyone to drop me off. I can take care of myself." She took her coat as she turned to say, "Thank you for your concern anyway" looking straight at Stefan.

Caroline noted that her eyes were red and puffy as if she had been crying all this time. "Look, Elena. I am sorry if I…"started Stefan regretting their fight already. "Stefan. It is really late. Let's talk about this tomorrow" said Elena bidding them good night. As Elena opened the door she came face to face with a person who smirked on seeing her. Everyone looked shocked to see the person but none as much as Caroline. "Hello Elena! Missed me?"

**A/N: Any guesses about the new character? I would love to know who you think it would be. Please leave it in the reviews. I got 16 new followers for last chapter and was very happy. But still reviews won't hurt. So please please review your thoughts. **

**Guest (3/16): It is Klaus who thinks that Elijah doesn't deserve it. And I think he is right to think so as I have explained in this chapter that Klaus has worked hard to get here while Elijah had always wanted to be a lawyer. Hope this chapter made this clear. Don't worry, Klaus always gets what he wants ;)**

**Drewwness: I am so glad that you found it again too. I remember you as one of the few who reviewed my first chapter. Please continue reading and reviewing this story :)**

**Thanks to Mystery Girl3 and guest for reviewing. Special thanks to Mystery Girl3 for the PM.**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Give Me Love Like Never Before**_

_**A/N: Thank you so much guys for helping the story get 50 followers! I thank each and everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited so far! This means a lot to me. Thank you for your continued support! Please continue this! You guys are just great! Here is the next chapter!**_

_**Chapter 6**_

"Hello Elena! Missed me?" asked the girl who was exactly like Elena. Caroline couldn't believe her own eyes. She was nothing but a carbon copy. "Katherine! What are you doing here at this time?" asked Elena warily. For some reason she didn't look quite happy seeing her double. Katherine just smirked and answered, "Now is this any way to greet your sister?"

"Sister? As in your twin?" exclaimed Caroline. Elena never told she had a sister, let alone one that looked exactly like her. Katherine turned to look at Caroline and rolled her eyes, "Of course, Barbie! Are you really dumb or just naturally blonde?" quirked Katherine. Caroline noticed that Damon was amused by this from his snort. "Katherine!" admonished Elena and turned to Caroline to apologize. Katherine just pouted and told, "What? You know I never have really liked the blondes, don't you?"

Now that Caroline was out of shock she could clearly see how different the sisters were. While Elena was simple and elegant, Katherine's whole personality screamed fashion. Katherine had sharper features and curly hair as opposed to Elena's plain and straight hair. Her outfit was edgier while Elena went for conservative. The way she even walked around Stefan's place as if she owned them made it clear she always liked to have her own way. While Elena never hurt anyone even when she was arguing, Katherine seemed to be brutally honest and blunt in her normal conversations. Elena's smiles were genuine while all Katherine did was smirk. So if there was something Katherine was lacking it was Elena's innocence. It was as if Katherine went all the way to differentiate herself from her sister that Caroline couldn't help but wonder why.

"I am sorry, Caroline. This is my twin sister Katherine Gilbert" introduced Elena with a frown. It was as if she couldn't think of a worse way to end this horrible day. Katherine just went on walking around the room as she explained, "Well, I missed my lovely sister! So I thought of giving you a surprise visit. But I was told that you were in your boyfriend's house and here I am".

She had this amused smirk as she approached Stefan and asked as she drew her hand across Stefan's chest, "So who is your boyfriend, Elena? Though both guys look incredibly handsome, I still am curious to know the guy who kept you on toes for three years!" Stefan meanwhile felt a little uneasy and backed away at the same time Elena answered in an annoyed tone "Well, the guy you are harassing right now happens to be my boyfriend Stefan."

Katherine just raised her eyebrows appreciatively and said, "Wow! I am impressed! I thought your poor taste in wardrobe will continue even in your boyfriends." She suddenly turned to Damon and told, "Oh don't pout, smarty! You are not bad yourself" extending her hand. Damon smiled and took her hand before replying, "Damon Salvatore! Oh, how I wish I could say the same about you, smiley?" Katherine who was smirking till then frowned at him and retorted, "Well, my mistake. It seems you are not the smart one"

Stefan decided to intervene and asked, "Elena and I are dating for three years now. How is that I meet you only now?" "You see, I didn't top in my academics like our perfect Elena here. I wasn't as imaginative as her. I didn't know how to get along with people and didn't excel in anything like my adorable sister. So my parents gave up on me and started concentrating on their precious Elena long time ago. That's when I made a sensible decision and left this godforsaken country to follow my dreams. So here I am, Katherine Gilbert, the leading fashion designer in Europe. But see what the perfect daughter of the Gilbert house had become. Some poor aspiring writer who still can't get a foothold in New York. It is kind of sad you know?" fake sympathized Katherine.

"You don't know how worried we were when you left us without notice" argued Elena. Katherine just scoffed and said, "Oh please! I am sure they didn't even notice that I was missing since they were busy singing your praise". Stefan, Damon and Caroline all looked uncomfortable to be in the middle of all the family drama. Stefan just cleared his throat and said, "It was nice meeting you, Katherine. I am sure you are tired from your long journey. Mind if I dropped you two at Elena's place?"

"Oh it will be lovely…"Katherine's reply was cut short by Elena who was keen to wrap up the day. "Thanks, Stefan. But we really want some sister bonding time. So I think we would be moving out now" told Elena giving Katherine a pointed look to the door. Katherine just shrugged and bid them a good night as she walked off. Elena sighed and apologized, "I am so sorry, guys. I myself didn't have clue about her. Sorry if she was mean. I know she is quite a handful. But she is my sister."

Surprisingly it was Damon who came forward and said, "Oh, it was one of the more exciting things to have happened today! Trust me she really spiced up my day!" Elena smiled at him and left with good bye to Damon and Caroline. She lingered a little longer when she bid Stefan. Caroline could see all their regret, longing and love which they conversed through their eyes. She again felt like an intruder and looked away. Stefan immediately retired to his room as soon as Elena left which left Damon and Caroline.

Damon yawned and stretched as he said, "Well, I guess the drama ends here. What a lovely day? Go to your room and sleep so you could dream about me, blondie! Sweet dreams!" winked Damon. Caroline fake retched and retorted, "It won't be a sweet dream if you are there in it. It would be a nightmare!" "Whatever suits you! Sweet nightmares" shrugged Damon and left the place. Caroline just shook her head and started walking towards her room. Today was definitely an eventful day and she just couldn't wait for how lovely tomorrow would be.

Caroline had never really felt nervous like this before. Sure she had her share of antsy moments in her life but nothing compared to this. She was about to start working for a big company. If you thought that was the reason for her nervousness think again. Because she was not only starting work today but she was going to work right under the guy with whom she argued over phone, poured all her secrets and shared a drink.

She couldn't even remember what happened that night at the party. What she knew was that she was royally screwed. She didn't even know how to dress for the occasion. She, Caroline Forbes, was undecided on what to wear. She didn't want to be too conservative but at the same time didn't want to give the wrong impression to her boss. God, she shuddered at her own thought. So she settled for the professional look and wore a ponytail for that day.

She wandered restlessly across the hall as she waited for Stefan in the reception. She didn't get much of a sleep the day before as she wasn't sure how to react when she saw Klaus. Maybe Klaus was really drunk that he wouldn't even recognize her. It would be perfect and she could happily start her job. But life had never been that kind to her. She was going to act indifferent whatever be his reaction. She could pretend that she was so drunk that she didn't even recognize him. But what if he thinks she was a heavy drinker and refused to employ her for that reason. God, these thoughts were killing her.

Klaus went through the reports as Dean waited for him nervously. Camille walked into his room carrying a coffee tray with a barely concealed delight on her face. She placed the cups on his table as Klaus looked up confused. "What are you doing here, Camille? Shouldn't you be at the reception?" enquired Klaus. Camille smiled before answering, "Emily is there at the reception right now, Mr. Mikaelson. Since your PA is not yet here, I was assigned to bring you your coffee."

"Oh! Thank you, Camille. It is perfect. Just the way I want it" complimented Klaus for which Camille responded with a flirty smile. However, Klaus didn't even look up at her when she left the room, leaving her disappointed. As soon as she was out of the room Klaus poured the coffee into a vase and said, "God! It sucks."

Dean was surprised at this and asked, "But you said it tasted good to her? Why didn't you tell her the truth?" "And leave her dissatisfied? She is a good receptionist. She gives the first impression to our company. If we want it to continue to be the best impression, we need to do such things. Now, back to our project. Don't you have even a single positive point to say about the hybrid project?" asked Klaus irritated.

"I am sorry, sir. But such model already exists in the market. If we introduce the same, it has to be better. But that could be achieved only by increasing the cost which defeats the whole purpose" explained Dean. "You are seeing it all the wrong way. Yes, the model is already in the market. But we can make it better, flashier and more customer friendly. Change your approach. Work with Mr. Salvatore and submit a better and more useful report next week" said Klaus handing over the folder to Dean. Dean nodded and left the room as Stefan made his way inside.

"Good morning, Klaus! You alright?" asked Stefan worriedly. "Good morning! As you know no personal talk inside my room" replied Klaus tilting his head. Stefan sighed and nodded getting the point. So Klaus continued, "So, as I am sure you already know we have to work on hybrids. Dean just submitted a useless report. I want you to work with him, analyze the pros and cons and submit me a proposal next week."

"Sure, Mr. Mikaelson" answered Stefan for which Klaus rolled his eyes. "I would just like to inform you that I will not stop till I make this hybrid a success and I do this for my friend Klaus and not for my boss Mikaelson." Klaus relented a little and said, "Thank you, Stefan. I owe it you. I made such a bold decision because I know that no matter what happens you will always stand by me." Stefan smiled a little and told, "Well that depends on the test run you are going to give for my friend."

"Oh! I forgot completely about it. See, Stefan this is only a test run. If I don't like her I will fire her. You shouldn't be upset. It is one of the craziest jobs and I don't get satisfied with anyone that easily. It is sad that Monica decided to move out of New York" warned Klaus. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. It is not easy to please the mighty Klaus. But just give her a chance. Won't you?" pleaded Stefan. "Fine. If you say so. Call her" said Klaus searching for some lost file. Stefan called the reception to let Caroline upstairs.

Klaus heard the door open and looked up just in time to see his new assistant entering his room. There at the door was the girl who got drunk along with him the day before. He was surprised to see his drinking partner waiting nervously. "Here she is. This is Caroline Forbes. My friend I was talking about" introduced Stefan. Klaus smirked at Caroline who returned a nervous smile. The sight of her squirming before him definitely was one of best things to have happened to him recently. This was the same girl who argued with him in the party, tried to smart him and gave him the idea for hybrids.

Klaus felt conflicted over Caroline. On one hand he didn't want to have the argumentative, stubborn girl who had seen him in a vulnerable state. However, there was some part of him which very enjoyed her presence and would love to keep her close. "Hello, " greeted Klaus smirking. "Good Morning, Mr. Mikaelson. Lovely to meet you" said Caroline in what she hoped was a casual tone. "Of course. I am sure you were eager to meet me" said Klaus teasingly.

Caroline just thought for one moment that he didn't remember anything about her or their evening. But his dig at her just confirmed that he remembered every bit of it. Stefan looked as if he was missing something but decided to leave it at that. So he left them saying, "So I guess my job here is done. Good luck, Caroline." Caroline just smiled at him while Stefan mouthed 'Be nice' to Klaus at the back of her head. When Stefan left, Caroline felt like a child left with a teacher on the first day of school. She felt terrified. She was afraid if he would bring it up all.

"So, Caroline I am happy to have you. But let me inform you at first itself that this is just temporary and I would definitely fire you if I am not satisfied" started Klaus. Caroline nodded and told, "Absolutely. I know Stefan did not get me a job here but only a chance to prove that I am worthy of being a Mikaelson motor employee." Klaus seemed impressed and said "Good. See, I only agreed because I heard you have had the experience in organizing things. For me, everything needs to be perfect. If you slack even a little bit you fail. Now, there are some rules to be followed for those who work as my assistant."

Caroline gulped as she realized that she was going to see the business face of Klaus Mikaelson as opposed to the drunk one. Klaus continued as he walked around his table. "So the first one is, always be on time. I hate unpunctuality. I believe that if we start a day with a delay that whole day will be ruined." Caroline perfectly understood him on this matter. She herself was so particular about punctuality. Her friends had found her annoying whenever she insisted on that.

"Secondly, no exploiting the company's services. You don't get to use the company's phone or car or anything for your personal use." 'That might be hard. But I think I can work on it' thought Caroline to herself. "When you are in office you don't think about your house. No situations like, 'Oh my mom really needs me now'. You should be professional about it." Caroline wondered if she was joining work or going to be imprisoned. She seriously started regretting Stefan's help.

"Importantly, you must be on the clock 24x7." Caroline frowned a little at that. "I am not telling that you must be at the office all day. I am just saying that you must be available whenever I call you" explained Klaus. "You may also need to travel with me to places on a short notice. And you don't get to complain about it." She really didn't know what to think of this rule. On one hand she really felt excited about the idea of travelling to places but definitely hated the part where she must accompany _him_. Just when she thought he was done with the list he turned towards her.

"Finally, for you to be able to follow the above rules you shouldn't be involved in a serious relationship. I guess that won't be a problem for you after everything" smirked Klaus. "What?" exclaimed Caroline. She was furious about his nerve to bring up the Tyler issue and at the same time his arrogance to dictate her love life. If he thought that he could get her to do whatever he wants, he was so wrong. He maybe Klaus Mikaelson, but he can't have his way in everything.

"See, that is exactly how I imagined you would react. When Stefan told about you he told you would be up for any challenge. But I doubted it. It isn't that easy to be my assistant. I understand. I will tell Stefan you were not up for this. I just wish he could have listened to me" shrugged Klaus. She could see what he was doing there. He was making it appear as if she was not fit for the job. He wanted to prove Stefan wrong and if there was anyone out there to whom she owed anything, it was definitely Stefan.

Moreover, Caroline Forbes was always up for a challenge. So in spite of knowing she was making a horrible mistake she said, "I agree to all your rules. They are a bit tough but nothing I can't do." Klaus looked a little taken aback. He had expected her to throw some tantrum before she actually agreed. 'I bet the Stefan card always trumps' he thought. "Well, that is nice. I am happy to have you here, Caroline. And good luck. You could start your work today" told Klaus.

Caroline sat there staring at her computer not sure what to do really. Klaus had earlier told her to get acquainted with the company and his daily schedule with the help of the computer. So here she was going through the boring things Klaus did every day. Her cabin was inside his room where both of them had a direct view of each other.

It actually made her feel a little uncomfortable that Klaus would be able to watch her every move every second. But at the same time she couldn't help but observe him too. He looked pretty handsome with his well built body. His accent definitely would make any woman melt. And his blue eyes and tousled blonde hair only added to his charm. Now that she thought of it, she too had blue eyes and blonde hair. Did that make her attractive too?

Caroline shook her head to clear her mind of those uncomfortable thoughts. God, what was wrong with her? She better get back to those boring company stuff again. As Caroline went through the computer she found that she couldn't get into a particular account. So she typed the password that Klaus had given for the other one. But the computer displayed the message: 'The password is incorrect. Try again'.

She started to get frustrated when a hand reached out from behind her and typed the password. She tilted her head to see Klaus leaning from behind her. His eyes were trained on the screen while his fingers methodically typed the password. "The password for my account is KERN" said Klaus as his breath fanned her cheeks. Her whole body tensed at his sudden proximity and she suddenly became aware of the fact that his face was just mere inches away from hers.

He straightened in a painfully slow manner and Caroline let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She gulped and whispered "Thank You". Klaus returned a smile and went back to his place. Oh my god! Those dimples! How could she forget to add his boyish grin to the list of his attractive features?

Klaus wondered if Caroline could survive his excruciating week of test run even though she appeared as someone who wouldn't back away from a challenge. He always had the difficulty of finding the perfect personal assistant for him. He had been lucky to have Monica. She completely understood him and was really efficient. He actually missed her a lot. She had turned out to be a good friend of his. He was so sure no one could replace her. Though Caroline was talented he doubted if she possessed the patience that was required especially if one happened to be his assistant.

Earlier he had gone to her desk to help her with his account. He had been watching her from his place and found her struggling with something. Expecting it to be some difficulty with the system he had rushed to find her struggling to enter into his account that contained his schedule. So instinctively he had leaned in to type the password.

What he had not expected were the softness of her hair and its overwhelming smell. It wasn't as if he was affected by her or attracted to her. It was just the fact he only saw her as the one who was amusing and stubborn that he failed to notice how beautiful she was. Not that he hadn't been around beautiful women before but she had the right amount of fieriness which only added to her beauty.

He was brought out of his musings by a knock from the door which revealed Camille with a handful of papers. "Hello, Mr. Mikaelson! These are the reports that you had asked from Mr. Gilbert. So do you want your evening coffee, now?" asked Camille expectantly. Caroline looked up at the mention of Gilbert to find a blonde girl clearly flirting with Klaus. She didn't recognize her but felt repulsed by her obvious show of admiration.

"Oh no, Camille. It's fine. I have my personal assistant now that I just don't want to bother you anymore" said Klaus. He turned towards Caroline and told, "Why don't you go and get me a coffee, sweetheart? It is your job from now on. I want it hot with three teaspoons of sugar and less milk" He left the room to talk to Jeremy leaving behind a surprised Caroline and unhappy Camille. "So you are his new PA?" asked Camille with a look of distaste.

Caroline smiled and introduced herself, "Yeah, I am Caroline Forbes. Nice to meet you." Camille didn't smile back but said, "Camille. By the way, don't get too excited over the fact that he called you sweetheart. He calls all the girls in the office that." Caroline looked at her confused and nodded as she left. She was so angry with Klaus bossing her around that she didn't notice anything else.

She brought back the coffee just the way he wanted and gave it to him. He had one sip and his face immediately contorted after tasting it. "I told three spoons of sugar not three tons of sugar!" exclaimed Klaus. Caroline was about to retort when he continued, "Just so you know, the test run starts tomorrow. Why not start it with a simple perfectly made coffee?"

"So he just handed over the cup to me and left the room! What does he think of himself? Emperor of the world? Seriously, I am definitely going to put salt instead of sugar in his coffee one day!" vented Caroline. She found this girls time with Elena and Bonnie extremely relaxing after a rather taxing day. Caroline couldn't exactly complain about Klaus to Stefan as they happened to be great friends.

Though she knew Stefan would completely understand her, she didn't want to be the one to strain the relationship between her best friend and her boss. Also, it was more fun when Elena would join her. She had called Caroline over to her house to complain about her bossy twin that Bonnie was delighted to join. "Well, he is a prick. All Mikaelsons are" said Bonnie to everyone's surprise. "What? What do you know about them?" asked Elena confused.

"I don't know about your favorite Mikaelsons, but I was talking about Kol. God, could he be more annoying? He offered me drinks at the party which I declined. But he continued to pester me even after knowing that I have a boyfriend! He even used his friendship with Jer to flirt with me! The worst of the kind, I would say!" complained Bonnie. "So, it seems the Mikaelsons have frustrated all of us this week. I mean an irritating ex, a frustrating boss and an annoying stalker." observed Caroline.

"Yeah! So, what do you say we toast to get rid of them?" asked Elena eagerly. Both Caroline and Bonnie nodded as they toasted to 'getting rid of the Mikaelsons'. Suddenly, Katherine came from her room and asked with an amused smile, "Mikaelsons, huh? Interesting!" and left the house. When both Caroline and Bonnie faced Elena with a questioning look, she just shrugged and said, "My sister is weird like that!"

_**A/N: I guess Mystic Girl3 guessed the new character correctly. I have always loved Katherine and last episode only made me love her more. Hope you like this chapter. I know lot of you have alerted the story but please review it. Your reviews are like sweets and only inspire me to update faster and write better. So pretty please share your thoughts with me!**_

_** 29: I am happy that you like my version of Stefan and Rebekah. I had always liked their spark. But don't come to any conclusions as yet ;)**_

_**Mystic Girl3: Thank you. You guessed it right. Elena may act selfish but only because she loves Stefan and yes Stefan always cares for everyone. That is one of his main traits. Hope the Klaroline part satisfied you :) **_

_**Thanks a lot to summer1234, Caroline121 for their wonderful reviews. Hope mystic1 liked this chapter**_.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Give Me Love Like Never Before**_

_**A/N: I am so sorry for almost a month wait for this chapter. Had so much going on what with projects, farewells, etc. So sorry for the delay. I promise next update will be sooner. Thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts. Now without further delay.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD **_

_**Chapter 7**_

Stefan was never late for work. Sure, there had been times where he had to take leave due to personal reasons but he had never been late. And he didn't want to break that record today. Due to lack of sleep the night before, he had gotten up late in the morning. He had panicked on seeing the time and had hurried to get ready for the day. Caroline had prepared him breakfast and left for the office not wanting to face the wrath of Klaus.

If there was anything Klaus was very particular about it was punctuality and Caroline too hated being late. Things have not been smooth between them with Caroline actually not being that thrilled of her job and Klaus not that pleased with her. Stefan had even started regretting his decision of recommending Caroline for the job.

Not that Caroline was not doing her job well, it was just that there was always this mutual hatred they shared. Klaus can appear like a jerk when he wanted and only those who were really close to him knew how sweet he was when he wanted. If he was right, only his previous assistant Monica and he knew Klaus' true self. For her part, Caroline could be quite judgy but once she befriends someone she would do anything for them. If it came to worse, Stefan would hate to take either of his friends' side.

Gulping his drink quickly, Stefan tried his best to untangle the tie. He normally would take extra care in this but now that he was in a hurry, he messed it up. "Oh, you are in a mess I see?" came an amused voice from the door. Stefan looked up to see Elena smiling at him from the door. "Good to know that my misery amuses you!" sighed Stefan. Elena came in front of him and swatted away his hands. She took control of the tie and looked up at him. "Good morning" whispered Stefan. "You sure?" questioned Elena pointing to his tangled tie and half eaten breakfast.

Stefan smiled and replied, "Yeah! It is always a good morning if you are with me". She looked pleased but hid it by saying, "Cheesy" for which he just shrugged. "Things haven't been great for us for the past few weeks" said Elena as she straightened his tie and stepped back. "Hmmm. Its true" nodded Stefan. "So what do you say dinner tonight to talk things over?" asked Elena with hope.

Stefan kissed her and told, "Dinner it is then." Elena returned his smile but warned, "But don't be late. I will be waiting." "I won't be" promised Stefan hugging Elena. But on seeing his watch, he exclaimed, "Oh crap! I am late. Will see you at dinner, Elena. Bye!" Elena laughed as Stefan dashed out of the place frantically and silently hoped everything would be back to normal in their relationship.

Caroline carried the coffee cup carefully hoping to god that at least today she satisfies Mr. Mikaelson. Urgh, just thinking of his name infuriated her. He had been nothing but frustrating that entire week. It was true that he was the boss and that she worked under him. But there could only be so much you could stand when one took special care just to pinpoint your mistakes. And if there was anyone who hated being wrong, it was Caroline Forbes.

Caroline knocked the door waiting for the accented 'Come in'. Many girls in the office thought his accent and grin compensated for his horrible personality but Caroline thought otherwise. It was true he was good looking but that doesn't change the fact that he was a prick. Klaus looked up to see Caroline waiting with his coffee. He hoped that at least after a week of practice she would have learned to make the perfect coffee. How difficult could that be? He sipped the drink and said, "Not bad! No, actually good. Definitely an improvement from the disaster yesterday."

Caroline silently rejoiced on hearing it. It was actually big coming from Klaus. However he continued by saying, "Though Monica learnt it within two days. But that is okay. I can't expect everyone as shrewd as her." Caroline sighed. He couldn't even let her celebrate for a second. He had to bring up how great his previous assistant was and dampen her spirits. She didn't know why but he who always found fault in others, singing praises about his former employee pissed her to a great extent. She just left his table and sat at hers fuming.

Klaus smirked as he saw her cursing him under her breath. He knew it annoyed her that he compared her to his previous assistant, but he couldn't help. Monica was the best and it was only fair that he compared Caroline with her. "Excuse me, Mr. Mikaelson" said a woman waiting near his half open door. Caroline noted that she was pregnant and really pale. She pitied her and thought how excruciating it would be for her in such a situation.

"Yes, Emma. How can I help you?" asked Klaus wanting to start his work for the day. "Sir, I got a 3 months holiday option this morning. But I didn't apply for it" asked a confused Emma. "Oh, about that yes. I only granted it" said Klaus getting up from his place and walking around. "You see, you seemed to have not met your deadline last week. And we could have easily lost our dealership if Mr. Gilbert hadn't stepped up."

Emma panicked and told, "But I had pain and I thought I was in labor. I couldn't make it to office because I was in hospital." Klaus looked unimpressed and said, "Yeah, right. It is not going to be the only time you are going to have pain. So I think it would be better if you take a break from work. I only want the most capable ones at my disposal. I am sorry but I can't afford the uncertainty of your presence."

Emma looked sick and said, "But I have to work. If not I may have to start afresh here again" "Yes, I am afraid so. But I am sure that is what is best for you as well as our company" tried Klaus to reason. "But you can't do so" claimed Emma close to tears. "I am sorry. But this project is my life and I am not going to allow someone who is unreliable put it to risk. Now if you can go, I have work" said Klaus with finality. Emma left the room crying while Caroline looked on helpless. She wondered if she had ever seen a man this heartless.

It had been a long morning for Bonnie. She had to organize a skit for the children in the school. So obviously it had been pretty taxing for her. Children were difficult to handle on normal days. Add to that their nervousness on getting on a stage only made it worse. Also it didn't help that Bonnie was the only one who could calm all the forty children. So this lunch break she took was a relief for her. Many of her friends including Elena had suggested that she took a better job. But the bottom line was that she loved being around kids.

Whenever she was with them she forgot all about her worries and sorrows and relished their company. Bonnie was a single child who lost her mother at a very young age. She had always craved for company. She herself would volunteer to babysit the kids in the neighborhood. That was how she became comfortable being around them. Bonnie rushed to complete her lunch to get back to school when a familiar figure entered the restaurant. He was the one she hoped she would never have to see again. Kol Mikaelson.

It appeared as if he hadn't noticed her, so Bonnie tried to be as inconspicuous as she could so that she could escape from another encounter with him. However luck was not on her side as he spotted her as he searched for a free table. His smirk widened when he saw her. Bonnie groaned internally and tried her best to ignore him. But he made it straight to her table and greeted, "Hello, darling!" She acted as if she didn't recognize him and asked, "Sorry, how could I help you?"

He laughed on hearing that and settled down in the seat beside her and said, "Oh come on, darling. You can never forget this handsome face. So save your breath." Bonnie huffed and questioned, "What the hell are you doing here? Are you stalking me or something". He just scoffed before answering, "As much as you are beautiful, don't fool yourself, Bonnie. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time". Bonnie leapt out of her seat as she said; "Well I am sorry that the same could not be said for me." Kol just shook his head smiling as he followed her out of the restaurant.

Caroline looked around as she searched for a place to have her lunch in the cafeteria. It had been a week since she had started working here and she had not made any friends. Hence she had to spend her lunch time alone. True, Stefan accompanied her for the first three days. But he had been really busy with this new hybrid project that he didn't have his lunch on time.

She continued her search as she bumped into a blonde woman who carried a plate full of sandwiches and French fries. "Oops, sorry! Didn't see you coming!" apologized the friendly appearing bumper. "It is okay. I am sorry too" smiled Caroline. "Wait! Are you new to this place? I haven't seen you before" enquired the blonde still not dropping her smile. "Yeah! I am new to this place. I am Caroline Forbes. Mr. Mikaelson's new personal assistant" replied Caroline.

"Oh so you are the new one. Great! So want to join us for the lunch? I am Lexi Branson by the way" said Lexi. "Sure. I would love to" told Caroline overjoyed at the fact that she was making new friends at the work place. Lexi led her to a table where Caroline spotted two guys chatting with a woman. One of the guys she recognized as Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's brother and Bonnie's boyfriend. The other guy looked handsome with his blonde hair and cute smile. The woman was laughing at the Jeremy's joke and looked beautiful and at the same time friendly.

As Lexi and Caroline approached the table, the three stopped talking and turned their attention towards Caroline. "Hey guys! Welcome our new friend Caroline Forbes to our gang. Caroline, we are the golden quartet. This is Jeremy Gilbert, Matt Donovan and Jenna Sommers" introduced Lexi. Everyone greeted Caroline back while Jeremy asked, "Aren't you Stefan's best friend from Mystic Falls? God, now I can't complain about my sister or my girlfriend!" Caroline laughed as she settled down between Jenna and Matt. "Hi Caroline! So how do you find your new work?" enquired Matt.

She didn't know what it was about him, but Caroline was instantly attracted to this guy. He looked friendly, sweet and lovable. "Well, she is working under Klaus. So it is self explanatory!"quipped Jenna. Everyone looked amused when Caroline finally answered, "It is not great but still I promise you there is no dull moment when you work for Klaus." The rest of the lunch break was spent with Caroline becoming accustomed to their company. To say she liked them all would be an understatement. She loved all the four.

Jeremy was fun to be with as he kept them all entertained. Jenna was the one she was searching for in this city. Not that Elena and Bonnie were bad but Jenna had the same tastes as her. Caroline loved talking with her. Lexi was more like the leader of the group. She was great but still had this friendly control over everyone and none seemed to mind it. But it was Matt who stole Caroline's attention completely. If anything she had developed a teensy bit of a crush on him.

As everyone left for work at the end of lunch, Caroline pulled Jenna aside and asked, "So you don't know by any means whether Matt has a girlfriend, huh?" failing miserably in keeping it casual. Jenna laughed and said "I understand. It is a bit difficult not to get attracted to the sweet Matt. But no he is not in any relationship right now." Caroline sighed happily and thanked her but Jenna's attention seemed to be elsewhere.

She was watching a handsome guy who was talking to some girl near the coffee machine. Caroline elbowed Jenna and said, "It seems like I am not the only one with a crush." "Yep! That is Alaric Saltzman who has stalked Jenna for god knows how long and whom our little Jenna too lust over" replied Lexi appearing out of nowhere. Jenna blushed and denied defiantly, "I don't" "You do" replied Lexi already leaving the cafeteria. Jenna followed her shouting, "I don't" while Lexi riled her up by saying, "You do". Caroline shook her head over their childishness but enjoyed their banter every bit.

"What is your problem?" asked Bonnie irritated by Kol's presence in her school function. He had followed her all the way to the school and was now annoying the hell out of her. "Oh come on, darling. I am just a mute observer here. I have never been to a school function before. So why can't you just ignore me" pleaded Kol. Actually Kol loved this place more than he was willing to admit.

If watching the backstage teeming with little kids was lovely, then seeing Bonnie handle these sweet god gifted children was a pleasure. Though at first he was only attracted to her beauty and the challenge she presented, Kol now loved how endearing she was when she was surrounded by children. "Bonnie, an emergency. The guys who told that they would help with the props have not arrived. It seems they can't make it on time. So we have to collect them" informed who appeared to be another teacher.

"What? But how could they do so, Kate? They promised" exclaimed Bonnie. "I know. But what to do now? Everyone has some work or another. Who would get the props? I guess we have to do it without them this year" said Kate. "But wouldn't the children be disappointed?" panicked Bonnie. "I could go" volunteered Kol having heard the whole conversation. "You?" asked Bonnie doubtfully. "Why not? I have a car as well as a big heart" winked Kol for which Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"See I want to see the children happy too. So what do you say to a coffee tomorrow and I get the props as soon as possible" offered Kol with hope. "You are manipulating. I don't even want your help" brushed off Bonnie. "What would a cup of coffee do? Are you that unsure of your relationship?" challenged Kol. "Oh come on. Just a coffee, Bonnie. Also he does look hot. So why not? Don't you want the kids to be happy?" pleaded Kate. "Fine. Just a cup of coffee and that too for the kids. Now hurry" conceded Bonnie. Kol smiled widely and took off before saying, "As you say, darling" for which Kate looked amused while Bonnie felt embarrassed.

"So it is very important that we get the place, Stefan. It is the best place for manufacturing as raw materials are near, the transportation is easy and it is the ideal place" explained Klaus. "I get it. It would make an excellent spot to set up the manufacturing unit. But the problem is that our rivals, 'The Five' is also bidding for the place. So it is going to be a bit difficult" reasoned Stefan. "We will show them who the boss is tomorrow. Here is the bid for the place. I will make sure it is safe. And tomorrow is a pretty important one, so make sure nothing goes wrong" said Klaus.

"Yeah, don't worry. I will take care of it. But now I got to leave" told Stefan preparing to leave the place. Klaus smirked and asked, "Why? Have a fancy date, Mr. Salvatore?" Stefan looked up and smiled mischievously before answering, "Yes, Mr. Mikaelson. You are 100% right." "Oh, does Elena know about this? Or should I report to her of your misbehavior?" teased Klaus. "Don't worry. This is an Elena approved date. So don't strain yourself" replied Stefan. "Jokes apart, I am seriously happy for you guys. I want you to work things out" confessed Klaus. Stefan came forward and hugged Klaus and whispered, "Thanks, mate".

Katherine flipped the pages of the fashion magazine bored in the absence of any company. Elena had gone to a date with Stefan six hours ago and that left her alone. Not that Elena was great company. But at least she derived pleasure in teasing, bullying and hogging her throughout the day. And she really missed Elena. She can't remember when she started hating her and despise her completely but she can be sure as to why she started hating her.

The constant praising of Elena by their parents made Elena Katherine's number one enemy. She tried very hard to compete with her, but lost hope when their parents were so busy being proud of their golden daughter that they completely forgot about their lonely daughter. That was when Katherine resolved to prove everyone wrong and do something that would just surprise everyone around her. That was when Paris happened and rest was history.

"Knock knock. Any beautiful woman in there?" came a voice at the door. Katherine turned around to see Damon Salvatore entering the room. "Oh I am sorry! I thought Elena would be there. Wouldn't have called out so if I knew you would be here. I completely forgot you moved in here recently to piss Elena" said Damon sarcastically. Katherine glared at him and retorted, "Well, not everyone is lucky. See I am stuck with the less attractive Salvatore now".

Damon just shrugged and proceeded to enquire "So where is Elena? Not yet home?" Katherine smirked before replying, "Oh! Didn't you know? My sister and your brother are on a date to patch things up!" Damon's face seemed to contour which Katherine noticed gleefully. "Oh is the big Salvatore brother unhappy over the recent developments?" asked Katherine in not so innocent voice. Damon appeared frustrated and shouted, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't act dumb, Damon. I know you fancy my little sister. Though don't you think it is unfair to your little brother?" asked Katherine raising her eyebrows completely enjoying the conversation. "You are raving mad" exclaimed Damon. Both of them were silent for a few minutes. Suddenly Damon turned towards Katherine and asked curiously, "Why do you always consider Elena as your competitor? Why can't you just think of her as your sister at least for once?"

Katherine looked surprised by that question but still didn't show that it affected her. "Well, I don't have anything against her. But you will too feel bitter if you are constantly compared with your brother and deemed worthless" added Katherine casually. Damon was shocked to find that was how he felt too. Right from the childhood, his father always praised Stefan for being the perfect son.

Even after they grew up, Stefan got a job in the leading automobile company while he was struck as a crappy journalist for a Hollywood magazine. To add to all this, the girl he liked, loved his little brother. Though he may not hate Stefan, Damon surely was envious of his brother and completely understood how Katherine felt. "I know" said Damon in a low voice. Katherine turned towards him surprised by the confession. She thought no one would ever understand how she felt and here he was admitting to knowing about it.

Just then Elena stormed into the house through the front door sobbing. Both Damon and Katherine looked at each other shrugging. Damon approached her carefully and enquired, "Any problem, Elena?" Elena turned towards him and furiously answered, "No nothing, unless you count getting stood up by your boyfriend and losing a potential publisher for your story as problems."

Klaus walked into his room tired from all the work for the day. He was surprised as he switched on the lights to see the whole room neatly organized. His otherwise messy table was organized in order. The files to be taken care of were arranged as important, emergency and ordinary. His calendar was marked with important meetings. There were stick notes on every file on what it was about. And there was a planner that clearly explained his schedule for tomorrow. On the whole his room was as he wanted it to be always.

As Klaus was looking around mesmerized, Caroline asked in a hesitant voice, "Do you like it?" Klaus turned around looking serious and said, "Who gave you the permission to completely redecorate my room? I didn't tell you to do these things, did I?" Caroline panicked and began to ramble, "I am sorry. I thought it would be nice if everything was organized and if you were clear what your program was next. I know it was wrong to do without asking for your permission but I thought you would like it. It is okay. I will return it to how it was…"

Caroline stopped as she was baffled when she heard Klaus laugh. "Oh it is entertaining to see you all worked up. But you have indeed done a good job. I mean I didn't expect this at all" confessed Klaus. He was about to add this was how Monica too organized the room but on seeing Caroline's smile decided against it. There was something about her smile that made him feel warm.

"Impressive. Keep it up. Maybe you are the one I am searching for" smiled Klaus. "Tomorrow is an important day. Be early. You may have to work late. Good night" bid Klaus as he left the room. Caroline whooped in joy. It was difficult to escape even one day from Klaus' scrutiny but to get compliments from him is like winning the hundred million worth lottery. Caroline locked the room and left for home still giddy with happiness.

_**A/N: Hope you all liked this chapter. I know not much klaroline in this chapter but I promise more in the next one. Thank you for the 17 new followers. Again I always say the same thing. Reviews mean a lot. So please let me know what you feel. I will be so happy. Please pretty please review.**_

_** 29: thanks for your review but sorry I couldn't understand who you were referring to when you said, 'I hope he will fall in love with her first, not Caroline'. Anyway thanks for reviewing regularly and continue to do so :) **_

_**Mystery Girl3: Thanks for your continued support. It means a lot to me. Hope you liked this chapter. Lots coming for Klaus and Caroline ;)**_

_**Special thanks for Caroline121, edw123, 1998baby, Philippe Holden and guest for their wonderful and enthusiastic reviews. You guys made my day :) **_

_**4x20 spoiler: I am not one to discuss about the episodes. But the originals episode even had me worried. I still can't believe the writers could go on with a baby story. I am not against any character but I think there are whole lots of ways for making a spin off happen. **_

_**I had 5 not 1 or 2 but 5 OTPs in TVD and all the 5 are miserable now. Great work by the writers. I would like to know you guys' top 3 pairs in TVD! **_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Give Me Love Like Never Before**_

_**A/N:**__** Hey guys. Sorry again for the delay. It was the end of the semester. I was just more into exams. Also the fact that my Windows crashed again didn't help the cause. I know this sound like excuses but this is the truth. The good news is that the holidays have started. And hopefully I will get to updating regularly. **_

_**I read the reviews for previous chapter and many have expressed that they don't want Caroline fall for Klaus first and she is not that weak. I believe everyone misunderstood her happiness on being complimented as crush. Let me make it clear that neither Klaus nor Caroline is going to fall for each other any soon and that Caroline will never be portrayed weak in my story. Both myself and Klaus like her only when she is strong ;) the reason she was overjoyed was that she always want to be perfect in whatever she does and she was just happy that even Klaus couldn't find any fault. Hope you all get it. Without further delay here is the next chapter.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD **_

_**Chapter 8**_

Damon and Katherine, who were otherwise, always sarcastic and witty didn't dare to open their mouth or even move an inch. It was because Stefan had just returned and now stood in front of Elena who was really in a bad mood after Stefan failed to appear for the date. "I am sorry, Elena. Let me explain what…" started Stefan when he was rudely interrupted by Elena. "What are you going to say this time, Stefan? That you got your tires punctured. I am fed up with your lame excuses."

"I understand, Elena. But please let me explain. I actually started early from work for the dinner. An accident occurred when I was about to reach the restaurant. The guy was severely injured. I had to take him to the hospital. If not he may have died" explained Stefan. Elena considered him for a moment before asking, "So you couldn't make it to the dinner because you just couldn't get out of the hospital after admitting him, I assume?"

"I couldn't just leave him there. I had to make sure he was okay and that his family was informed of his condition. It took a while" said Stefan. "And you were so busy that you couldn't even get your mobile out and inform me about it?" countered Elena. "The battery was dead" argued Stefan. Elena just laughed humorlessly and retorted, "And of course you didn't even see one public telephone booth in a hospital".

Stefan started to get frustrated and told, "See, I am sorry I couldn't even inform you. But I was so panicked and just wanted the guy to be safe that I forgot everything else. I admit that telling my girlfriend who was waiting for me in a fancy restaurant that I would be late for the date appeared less significant when compared to saving a man's life." "That is right I was just the girlfriend without any work waiting for you stupidly in a restaurant thinking that her boyfriend would never let her down. You know how everyone looked at me sympathetically there? And the reason you don't take me seriously is that because I am jobless. I am just a stupid girl with nothing to do but go around her boyfriend, isn't it?" shouted Elena.

"No I never thought so. It is you who have really changed a lot recently. You have started to feel insecure whenever I talk to a girl. You want me to be around you always. But you have to understand that I won't be able to please you always" argued Stefan. "Right. I am feeling insecure because I am free. You know what? You made sure that I remain jobless for the rest of my life" said Elena. Seeing Stefan's confused look she continued, "Yes, the publishers had called me to talk about my novel. But since I was 'unavailable', they decided to not waste the time on some wannabe writer and left" completed Elena with tears in her eyes.

Stefan appeared shocked and said, "I am so sorry, Elena. I never knew…" "You never ever know anything. That is the problem. You have completely forgotten about me. Do you remember the last time we spent a day together? You have distanced yourself from me a lot in the past few weeks. I am tired of you taking me for granted" burst out Elena. "I never took you for granted. I just thought you would understand. I thought you loved me for what I am" said Stefan still surprised by the outburst.

"I don't know, Stefan. Something has changed. I feel like we are slowly drifting apart from each other" concluded Elena. "No, Elena. It is just your illusion. We can work on it" tried Stefan desperately to stop her from taking any stupid decisions. "I think we have to take a break from our relationship, Stefan. I think that is what best for both of us. And I didn't take this decision in haste. I have thought this through. I want to be alone till I do something about my novel" said Elena looking directly at his eyes. Stefan couldn't reply for a few minutes but then finally told, "If that is what you want, fine. But never forget I love you always." He moved forward to kiss her on her head and left the place without a second glance.

Caroline was still feeling a bit sleepy as she made her way to the entrance of the Mikaelson motors office. She was really concerned about the split up between Stefan and Elena last night. She couldn't believe that this was the couple who had decided to move in together a few months ago. Maybe it would have been smoother if she hadn't decided to live under Stefan's roof. 'No, Elena was just upset about the publishing house fiasco. She will come around' thought Caroline to convince herself.

She was so consumed by her thoughts that she didn't notice Matt who was waving at her. "Hello! Good morning! Still not out of your own world?" questioned Matt as he neared her. "What? No I was just you know thinking about today's work!" said Caroline. Matt laughed on hearing that and teased, "That sincere, huh? Klaus would be very happy if he hears about this". "Yeah, he would be delighted" told Caroline sarcastically thinking to herself, 'If only you know'.

"So you are from New York?" enquired Matt clearly in the mood of extending the conversation. "No, I am from a small town called Mystic Falls" replied Caroline. "Oh so you are new to New York! So your family is here?" asked Matt. "No my mother is back in the town. I came here for a change of scenery. What about you?" enquired Caroline. "Well I live here with my sister Vicki. I have been in New York from god knows when. So are you new here? You know we could hang out sometime in the weekend?" asked Matt.

Now that she thought of it, Caroline had never been anywhere in New York except for her friends' house. "Yea sure. Why not? I could definitely use a guide" replied Caroline. "Okay then. See you at lunch" left Matt smiling. Matt appeared sweet and friendly enough to Caroline, that she was excited at the prospect of a weekend with him. What she was not looking forward to was another taxing day with Klaus.

Kol pulled out a chair so that Bonnie could make herself comfortable. Bonnie looked around nervously as she debated whether she has done the right thing or a horrible mistake by coming here. Kol settled in the one opposite to her and said giving his winning smile, "Thanks for coming. I thought you would never come. You look great, by the way."

Bonnie didn't smile back at him. She knew he was a player and that she was just another woman for him. She told to herself that she would never fall for his tricks. "Why are you so uptight? It is just a friendly gesture. Why can't you take anything lightly?" asked Kol curiously.

"Maybe because I don't have the luxury of taking anything lightly. I am not a multimillionaire who could just waste away his time with girls" retorted Bonnie. "Jeez, calm down. It is just a lunch. I am not going to eat you alive or something" said Kol laughing while Bonnie just ignored him. "Anyway, why do you insist on spending time with me? You know it is just a waste of time" told Bonnie making her point clear.

"Yeah, that is true. But I can't help but get intrigued by you. You are way more interesting than most of the girls I meet" shrugged Kol. "Well. That is a good pick up line. But it is sad that it doesn't work on me" said Bonnie. "Oh really? Tell me about a better pick up line. I am sure you could just do great in that department" egged Kol. "Oh I don't know. It has been a while since I used them. I have not used one since I started dating Jeremy. But I know one line that would never fail" said Bonnie confidently.

Kol was curious to know which one it was that he pestered her about it. "Fine fine. I will tell you. But I have to warn you it works only if you deliver it properly" teased Bonnie. "Yea, okay. Whatever! Just tell the line" said Kol impatiently. Bonnie tried hard not to laugh and moved forward, lifted her chin up and said raising her eyebrow suggestively, "How you doing?" Kol who was listening intently burst out laughing on hearing it. Watching him, Bonnie too joined him in the laughter.

"You really are still stuck in the 90s, eh? You have to grow up, darling!" smirked Kol. "Whatever! We both know who the matured one among us is" said Bonnie as she stuck her tongue out. "Yeah, the one with a Mickey mouse sticker on her bag is the matured one" said Kol pointing to her handbag which had the sticker of her favorite cartoon character. Bonnie had a secret obsession of cartoons which she was a bit embarrassed to talk about.

Bonnie bit her lip as Kol continued to tease, "So where is his pal, Mr. Donald duck? Is he hiding inside the bag? Oh wait, I am sure he is on the purse" He got up from his place and tried to snatch her bag. She hid it out of reach for him and threw the water from her glass impulsively. Kol stood frozen in his place while Bonnie realized what she had done and held her breath waiting for him to yell at her. To her surprise, he burst out laughing causing her to relax and join him in the laughter.

Klaus dreaded tomorrow. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving Day and it has been a while since he had seen or even spoken to any of his family members. He had of course not talked with Elijah and refused to talk to him when he had tried to contact him. He did meet Rebekah a few weeks ago but things were really not going well between them too. Kol of course didn't even bother to contact him as he must be busy with god knows what.

He was sure at least one of his siblings would try to make him come for the family dinner. But he was still not prepared to attend such a family thing. Their betrayal was still fresh in his mind and it was hard for him to just put that aside and mingle with them. Anyway they can't force him to come to London and he definitely would not ruin his day by spending it with Mikael. That was why he had instructed Caroline to not forward any personal calls to him that day. Also he has to seal the deal for the place for his manufacturing unit. Hopefully this day passes without any drama.

Caroline observed that Klaus was a bit tensed about something. She knew he said that today was an important day and that she would have lot of work to do but she didn't know that it was that important to him that he instructed her not to forward any personal calls for him. So she just assumed that today was going to be a long day but took solace from the fact that tomorrow was thanksgiving and she could finally get a breather. This week was indeed a hectic one.

As she returned to her work, she heard someone clear their throat. She looked up to find a man in suit with an intimidating demeanor staring down at her. "Excuse me, Ms….?" trailed the man expecting her to fill it. "Forbes" heard Caroline herself saying it. She still couldn't place him but she was sure he had seen him. "So you are Niklaus' new assistant?" enquired the guy giving a look around. That was when Caroline realized that he was none other than Elijah Mikaelson, the CEO of the whole Mikaelson motors.

Caroline stood up and said, "Yes, Mr. Mikaelson". Elijah smiled slightly seeing her realization and asked, "So is Niklaus in his room?" Caroline just nodded not knowing what else to do. There was something about this elder Mikaelson that made her feel like he was someone not to be messed with. He just nodded and strode in the direction of Klaus' room.

Klaus sensed someone open his door without asking his permission. He whirled around to find Elijah standing there smiling. "Hello, brother" greeted Elijah. Klaus was surprised to see him in New York. Wasn't he supposed to be at London? "Elijah. What an entirely unwelcome surprise?" said Klaus glaring at him. "And what an entirely unsurprising welcome" replied Elijah coolly.

Klaus rolled his eyes and asked, "What are you doing here?" Elijah settled in one of the chairs and looked at him straight in the eye before replying, "Well, tomorrow happens to be the Thanksgiving Day. I want to spend it with my family. And since three fourth of my family is here and none would make it to London this year, I thought why not celebrate it in New York this time".

Klaus hated the fact that he didn't consider this. He was so bent on not going to London that he did not consider this alternative. "I am sorry, Elijah. But I can't make it this year. I have work" lied Klaus confidently. "Well, that is unfortunate. But as the CEO I could make sure you don't have work on a holiday" retorted Elijah. "We both know that I don't want to be there tomorrow. Save your breath, Elijah" said Klaus harshly.

"I know what you are doing, Niklaus. You are pushing away the people you love so that they can't hurt you. You have to get over it. We care about you. Whether you admit it or not, we love you. Don't distance yourself from us. Whatever you do, we would never give up on you. I would never stop trying" said Elijah looking straight at him. When Klaus' resolve was melting, he added, "You have to come tomorrow. We will spend the day as a family. Isn't that what you always wanted? To live as a family without Mikael"

Klaus looked uncertain and told, "I don't know if this is the right idea, Elijah". He nailed it by telling, "If not for us, you have to come at least for Bekah. You know that she loves you and she misses you a lot these days. It is up to you, Niklaus." Saying so Elijah rose from his seat and prepared to leave. Before closing the door he said, "Your family will be waiting for you tomorrow" leaving Klaus confused more than ever before.

Caroline watched Mr. Mikaelson walk out of Klaus' room with a feeling of accomplishment. She thought it must be a real important deal today for the CEO to come here from London. She hoped that everything would work out today. Klaus as such was difficult to handle, but if his mood was spoiled then it would be a nightmare. She continued with her work when Klaus entered her room with a big file. "I would like you to go through this file tomorrow and give a condensed version. It is really important so make it happen by tomorrow" informed Klaus.

Caroline looked confused. She wondered whether he knew what tomorrow was or was he just playing dumb. She hesitated and prompted, "Sure, Mr. Mikaelson. But, isn't tomorrow thanksgiving? I thought tomorrow was a holiday." "Oh" said Klaus realizing his mistake and was immediately reminded of Elijah's offer or rather ultimatum. "Right. Tomorrow is a holiday. Try to complete this by today. It is really important" told Klaus.

Caroline appeared overjoyed as for a moment she thought she would have to work on a holiday too. She loved holidays and celebrating them. She cherished every moment she spent with her loved ones and she always felt holidays provided the best opportunities. In her childhood, with her father gone, her mom had become a workaholic and never spent time with her. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year were the only times in which she got to be with her mother and hence she loved them.

"Yeah, sure. I would submit it to you by evening" promised Caroline. Klaus noticed how worried she was when he had told her there may be work tomorrow and how happy she was when she was told otherwise. "So you like thanksgiving, huh? Are you going to visit your mom this year?" enquired Klaus. Caroline looked surprised and wondered when she had mentioned about her mom to him.

He seemed to read her mind and clarified by saying, "No need to look so suspicious. Remember you told all about you in the party?" Caroline flushed on hearing it. She had indeed poured her heart out that night. She looked sheepishly at him and answered, "No, I am spending this year's thanksgiving with Stefan. Though I wish to fly back, my mom had informed that she would be working that day."

Klaus could understand how it was to spend the holiday without your parents. Back when they were kids, both Mikael and Esther would leave him and his siblings alone to celebrate the holiday. Even if they were present it would never be a pleasant day as somehow a fight would start leaving everyone bitter at the end of the day. So Klaus had always preferred to spend his holidays with his brothers and sister. They may be annoying but when he looked back they were the ones who always kept him distracted whenever Mikael spoiled the mood. He always loved the time he spent with them.

"I believe you are going to spend it with your family too. Not to sound intrusive, but I thought now that Mr. Elijah too is here you guys would spend the thanksgiving together" said Caroline. Klaus suddenly realized that was all he ever wanted. For his family to be together without Mikael and that was what Elijah had been offering. How stupid should he be not to see it? "Yeah, we are going to spend the day as a family" replied Klaus. 'Just as I have always wanted' he added to himself. "So if you want to get your work done by today you may have to refer some files. Here is the store room key. Help yourself" told Klaus as he threw the keychain. "Sure, Mr. Mikaelson" said Caroline as she caught them.

Dean looked nervous as he knocked on the door of Klaus. He had come bearing some really bad news and wondered how his boss was going to react. He knew this project was Klaus' dream and he would do anything to make it a success. That was the reason he was a bit unsure about the upcoming conversation.

On seeing Dean, Klaus brightened and said, "Here you are. I thought you would never make it. So is everything ready? It is very important that we get the place today, Dean. Let's go, shall we? Where is Stefan, by the way?" Dean looked a bit agitated and Klaus didn't fail to notice it. He got suspicious and asked, "Is everything okay? You look a bit off! Any problem, Dean?" Dean stuttered a little and finally said, "Mr. Mikaelson, the auction has been cancelled for some reason and postponed for next month.

"What? What do you mean by it is postponed by a month? We need it now to start our production. We can't wait that long" panicked Klaus. Dean still looked nervous which made Klaus realize that this was just the start of bad news. "This isn't it. There is more to it. Isn't there? Come on, spill it, Dean" demanded Klaus.

"'The Five' have also introduced a hybrid vehicle called, 'Hunter' which has the same specifications we have planned sir" confessed Dean looking down the ground. He too couldn't understand how their rival company too had decided to introduce the same model with the same specifications. Surely this was not a coincidence. Klaus just growled and flung the files on his tables causing it to crash to the ground.

The car came to a halt as Kol rushed to open the door on Bonnie's side. She rolled her eyes at his gentleman gesture. According to her, Kol tried a bit too hard to impress her. Throughout the day he made her laugh by cracking jokes, treated her like a queen and kept her happy. If she had not known too well about him, she may even go on to describe this as a perfect date. But somehow Bonnie felt that this was not an act.

She rubbed her hands to keep her warm. It was too cold out here and she was stupid to leave her jacket back at home. Realizing her discomfort Kol took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. Bonnie refused it but he insisted. "Don't want you entering your house as an ice sculpture, do we? Also the kids will miss their favorite teacher if she couldn't go to class due to fever" winked Kol.

Bonnie shook her head and said, "I don't know. It is just that everything you do have an intention that I cannot help but be suspicious." Kol looked into her eyes, "Do you really think me offering my coat is also a signal to get you into my bed? I agree that I am a bit of a player." Bonnie raised her eyebrows that he amended, "Fine I am completely a player but still I am a brother too. I know that you feel cold and that was why I gave you the coat. I have seen my sister shiver at night outside. So I would have given my coat even if you were a five year old girl or a fifty year old grandma."

Bonnie smiled at him and said, "So this is it. A day with you as I promised. So I hope this clears my debt" Kol looked at her with an unreadable expression. It even looked like disappointment. He cleared his throat and told, "Well, yeah. You have cleared your debt. You owe me nothing. You are free. I am sorry if I troubled you. But I enjoyed the day. Thank you for the great day." Bonnie just smiled and bid him good night.

He returned it and started walking off. She walked towards her house as she thought back on the day. It was the happiest day she had in a long time. His smile, laughter, corny lines and even his flirting made the day enjoyable. Thinking about him brought a small smile to her face. She opened the door still smiling that she was shocked to find Jeremy with a bouquet. She looked around the room to see it lit with candles. "Happy six month anniversary, Bonnie" greeted Jeremy as he kissed her.

"Are you happy? I wanted this to be a surprise. That is why I didn't inform you. You are late. Did you have work back in school?" enquired Jeremy. Bonnie just nodded. She couldn't believe that she spent her six month anniversary day on a date with another guy. She felt ashamed and vowed never to meet Kol again. "Thanks a lot, Jeremy. That is so sweet of you. I love you" said Bonnie more to herself. Jeremy smiled and replied kissing, "I love you too."

Caroline pulled on the lock forcefully as she tried to open that century old cupboard. She huffed as she applied her full strength but still she was unsuccessful. She glared at those cupboards which looked to her as if they were mocking at her for her incapability. When Klaus had told her to fetch the files and report about it by evening, she thought getting the files would be the easier part. God, had she been more wrong?

These cupboards were nightmare and she was exhausted at the end of it. She had to find only one more file and then she would be free. She would make sure that she wouldn't be coming here again in the near or far future. She pulled again forcefully on one of the stubborn locks that she stumbled backwards and hit the floor. On standing up she noticed that she had broken the lock and to her surprise the shelves were filled with rolled up charts instead of big files.

She approached it intrigued and opened the first chart. To her amazement she saw a breathtaking painting of a meadow which appeared so true. The painting brought out the beautiful greenery and she couldn't help but be in awe. She placed it and reached for another chart and found that it was too filled with an amazing painting. She stood their admiring the work when a voice brought her out of the reverie.

"What the hell are you doing here?" shouted Klaus from behind her. She jerked on hearing the voice and dropped the chart out of shock. She fumbled to collect it and put it back in its place and strutted to answer. He looked murderous and that scared her even more. "What the bloody hell are you doing in there? I asked you to bring me the files and not to look through what was in there. Don't you know your limits? Who do you think you are to just open others' cupboards without permission?" shouted Klaus as he shut the cupboard with a thunderous bang.

Caroline flinched from its sound and tried to explain but she was interrupted again. "So what did you think you could find here, huh? Maybe some documents that you could sell off to other companies or maybe some valuables that could fetch you quite an amount?" continued Klaus. Caroline lost her last straw of patience and yelled, "Would you just stop it there? What do you think of those who work below you? They too are human, okay? Just because you employ me, it doesn't give you any right to take me for granted. You are so full of yourself. You think all this success you achieved is only because of you? It was because of the thousands of workers who stood behind you. You may have the money but that doesn't allow you to treat people poorly."

"God, you are so full of yourself. I tried different cupboards to get a file. I chanced upon these paintings and took time to admire it. But you! You and your cheap brain will never trust anyone. Let me tell you one thing. You will gain the genuine respect of someone only when you respect them. I thought I could make it through your horrible personality. I guess I was wrong. I can't stand one more minute of you. And before I go, I just want to tell one thing. You are a big asshole. Good bye" signed off with a wave of her hand and stormed out of the room leaving behind a stunned Klaus.

**A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter. Next chapter is the interesting Thanksgiving Day of the Mikaelsons, Gilberts and Salvatores. Please don't hate me for the Stelena break up. **

**As for the pick up line, "How you doing?" only 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' fans could get it. If you haven't seen it yet I strongly recommend it. From 10****th**** chapter it is fully going to be about Klaroline. Is everyone okay with it? Thanks for reviewing, following and favoriting. Please review your thoughts on this chapter. I will be really happy. **

**Mystery Girl3: Did you like this chapter? Nothing will ever happen to Stefan. Don't for your review :)**

**Kacomu: I will never portray Caroline to be weak. Hope this chapter made it clear.**

**MyloveforKlaroline: Thank you for your sweet review. As for who falls in love first, lets wait and watch ;)**

**Chetopat: Sorry for the late updates. Glad to know you loved it. This is only the beginning of their cat and mouse game. My bet is also on carebear only :)**

**KRISTINE.W: Hi! I am happy that you found the story again and even more glad that you loved it. I was also excited that people from around the world are into the same show and it is very true that we all drool over Klaroline ;) come on, who can resist Klaus and Caroline? I am so happy you created a new account. Keep reading and continue reviewing :)**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Give Me Love Like Never Before**_

_**A/N: **__**Hi guys. This chapter is all about family and consists of very little klaroline. It is kind of filler. But I promise the next three chapters will be only about klaroline. I completely forgot that the British don't celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanks for pointing out the mistake. I have tried to give some explanation in this chapter. It seems everyone loved a feisty Caroline. It is my favorite too! Couple of you has wondered if there is a spy in Mikaelson motors. Yes there is a spy. I would like you all to start guessing. I haven't watched the season finale, and I really hope they haven't killed klaroline. Thank you for your reviews, follows and favorites. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD**_

_**Chapter 9**_

Elena folded the napkins methodically without paying attention to anything around her. She still couldn't believe what was currently happening in her life. Until last week she was happy, had a boyfriend and had so much hope that her novel would surely be published this year. But now her whole life was in shambles. She may not be happy with her situation right now but she doesn't regret her choices. She really needs to sort out her life at this point of time. She needs to take publishing her novel seriously and work hard on it.

Katherine observed her from afar while savoring a strawberry. "Already missing Stefan?" enquired Katherine smirking with a raised eyebrow. "Not in the mood, Katherine. Please leave me alone" said Elena trying to leave the place. Katherine stopped her by arm and told, "Oh! Not so quickly. Come on it is not the end of life. Then again wasn't it you who ended everything?" teased Katherine.

Elena pulled her arm out of her sister's hold and was about to retort when Jeremy entered with Bonnie. Katherine changed her whole demeanor and smiled widely while greeting her little brother. Jeremy too came forward and engulfed her in a warm hug. "I really missed you, Kat. So happy to see you again" greeted Jeremy enthusiastically. "Oh, I can't believe how much my little Jer has grown up" said Katherine ruffling his hair.

Elena looked at them with a little bit of envy. Right from childhood, Katherine had always been closer to Jeremy and acted completely different with him. If one had to say the truth, the only one she loved in the Gilbert family was Jeremy. Miranda Gilbert entered the room and called out, "The food is ready, kids. Come on"

Everyone in the Gilbert family settled to have a sumptuous dinner. It had been years since the whole family was present for the Thanksgiving. Bonnie watched Jeremy sit down without even turning in her direction. She suddenly remembered the lunch with Kol where he pulled out the chair for her. She shook her head feeling guilty for comparing her boyfriend with Kol. She really needs to stop thinking about him.

The whole table was filled with awkward silence. Everyone munched on their food without even a little bit of glance to their family members. Grayson Gilbert decided to end the silence and asked Elena, "So is everything going on alright in your life, honey?" Elena gulped down her food and answered giving a fake smile, "Yeah! Everything is fine dad. Katherine just rolled her eyes on hearing it. "And Jeremy, don't you want to introduce your girlfriend to us?" teased Mr. Gilbert.

Jeremy grinned and said, "It is not like you guys are new to her. She had been Elena's best friend from school. I thought there was no need for introductions" "Still this is the first time she is attending a family dinner. Speaking of which, where is Stefan, Elena? He had never missed our thanksgiving dinners" enquired Mrs. Gilbert.

Elena looked a bit uneasy and was about to reply when Katherine said, "Oh they are on a break. Elena got tired of dating the same guy. Who knows, may be Stefan got tired of dating a whiny girl." "Shut up, Katherine" retorted Elena. "Wow, what a great comeback?" smirked Katherine, "Really Elena you were even lucky to have such a handsome, well settled guy and you went on to lose even him. Seriously, the only thing you had right in your life at this point of time was Stefan and you go on and spoil that too? I mean it is not like you have a job or anything" continued Katherine ruthlessly.

Elena was close to tears by the end of it and just got up and ran to her room. Bonnie followed her excusing herself. "I can't believe you just did that, Katherine. How could you be so insensitive? Don't you realize she is your sister?" reprimanded Mrs. Gilbert. "Yeah right, I am the insensitive one. Did you two realize that I just came back after a long time? But still you are only concerned about your precious Elena? Are you kidding me?" exclaimed Katherine.

"Katherine honey, you always look it with a wrong perspective. We love all our children equally. We never treat anyone partially" explained an exasperated Mrs. Gilbert. Katherine snorted humorlessly in response and said, "That is right. Did you even come and visit me when you came to know about my return? No, you are just interested in Elena's failed relationship than what happened to your daughter who left you five years ago."

"As usual, you have got it all wrong. We thought we could talk to in private and learn everything about you. It was Elena who suggested not rushing things" told Mr. Gilbert. "Of course, it was Elena who told you to ignore me. Seriously I am fed up of you two. I thought once I prove myself everything would be different. But I believe I was wrong" said Katherine.

"Maybe you were wrong the whole time. We don't focus on our children's achievements" told Mrs. Gilbert. "Yeah, you don't care who does better. All you care is only about Elena fucking Gilbert" yelled Katherine storming out of the room. Jeremy sighed heavily and followed her leaving behind the perplexed Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert.

?

Kol let out a frustrated sigh as his phone rang for the fifth time in fifteen minutes. He answered the call knowing full well it was his annoying brother pestering him to join the family dinner soon. Granted he had been forty five minutes late for it, but that didn't give Elijah any right to call him continuously and call him names. "I am almost there, Elijah. Can't you wait for a few minutes patiently?" asked irritated Kol. "Well that's what you told me the last ten times I called. I am not going to fall for it this time too. Just tell where you really are so we could start without you" said Elijah.

Kol stepped into the house and retorted in his phone, "It is not as if our whole family is present. It is just you and Rebekah, both of whom have nothing better to do. Will you treat Nik the same way? It is the innocent one who gets harassed the most" pouted Kol as he entered the dining hall staring straight at Klaus who was waiting impatiently drumming his fingers on the table. Kol looked sheepishly at Elijah who looked at him with amusement. Rebekah scowled and told, "Well I thought we will have one less annoying brother and hoped for a silent dinner". Kol grinned at her and said, "It seems you have no such luck, little sis." Rebekah just rolled her eyes while Kol smirked at her.

Elijah tried to take control of the situation and said, "It is charming to have the whole family here. To tell you the truth I didn't expect a few of you to come today" said Elijah glancing at Klaus. "Thanks for being present here" "Well not everyone came willingly. Some were threatened to make it" shrugged Klaus. "You too, brother? I also got death threats to come to this dinner" fake sympathized Kol. Rebekah narrowed her eyes at him. "What is your problem, Nik? How could anyone threaten you to come to a family dinner?" demanded Rebekah.

"Just realize how dysfunctional this family must be that everyone should be manipulated into coming" countered Klaus. "It is you who is ignoring us all for the past few weeks. What wrong did we do, Nik? Maybe loving you was the only mistake we did" said Rebekah with tears in her eyes. "I am done with those tricks, Bekah. I know you guys' true intentions. I know Elijah wanted the company and Mikael was glad to hand it over to him. Please don't make a fool of me with your tears" retorted Klaus. Rebekah furiously wiped her tears and said, "Don't you see all this is father's work? He wanted us to fight and he achieved it. You are making him win, Nik. Elijah is an innocent here"

"Yeah that is why he immediately accepted the CEO post without any second thoughts" retorted Klaus. Elijah who had been silent during the whole exchange lost his cool and said, "I am sick of having to explain the same thing again and again to you, Niklaus. What do you expect me to do? To resign from my post? Because I am not doing it. I need money for my law firm and so I am going to do it whether you like it or not." Klaus laughed a humorless laugh and said, "Why doesn't this surprise me at all? It is fine if you want the company. Lets see who is worth it" "Nik, I don't think it is father who is responsible for our fallout. It is you and your stupid ego" declared Rebekah.

"Thanks a lot for being such a supportive family and for such a lovely thanksgiving dinner. I think its time for me to leave. I hope not to run into any of you in the near future" said Klaus walking out through the doors. "How the hell did a family dinner escalate to such fallout that quickly?" wondered aloud Kol. "I just wanted our family to have one peaceful dinner. Was it too much to ask?" asked Elijah. "Maybe it is, for our family" answered Rebekah dejectedly.

Elijah's phone rang breaking the silence that had set in after Klaus' departure. His expression changed to joy on seeing the caller id and he excused himself to have a private conversation. Kol looked on amused and asked Rebekah, "Do you think it is his girlfriend?" Rebekah looked unsure and said, "Elijah with a girl? It is really hard to imagine" "Well, whatever. It just means I get to have more turkey" said Kol helping himself with more food. Rebekah looked at him curiously and asked him the question that had been in her mind for a long time, "Don't these quarrels affect you at all, Kol?"

Kol looked up from his plate and shrugged, "It used to. When I was a kid our parents' quarrels affected me the most. So I vowed myself to become detached from everything and take life as it comes. Life is smoother now. Maybe you should try these chicken pops. They are heavenly". Rebekah realized that Kol was just affected by all these as of others, but had really learnt to put a mask as if nothing affected him. If anything she felt even sadder for Kol. He was the one to spend more years with their parents and had always been a loner. She looked back at the day and feared that her family may never really be together in the future.

Katherine leaned against the railings in the balcony allowing the wind to mess her hair. Jeremy approached her silently from behind and touched her shoulder. Katherine smiled on seeing Jeremy and asked, "Do you remember the thanksgiving when we sneaked out to a bar? We almost got caught on returning". "Yeah, but do you remember it was Elena who saved us from getting caught? She lied for us and saved us from mom's wrath" reminded Jeremy. "That was because mom believed and still believe Elena could do no wrong" sulked Katherine. Jeremy sighed and realized it was no use trying to make her see sense. So he decided to change the topic and asked, "How was Europe? Did you have a great time?"

Katherine grinned before answering, "It was magical, especially London. The art, culture, food and everything was just splendid. You have to come with me one day". "Sure, why not? It is not as if I have a job here" joked Jeremy. Katherine shoved him and laughed along with him. Her phone beeped loudly indicating that she had got a message. "Who is it? Is it your boyfriend?" teased Jeremy. "Shut up, Jer" told Katherine checking the message. "Fine, take your own time. I will be waiting for you inside" said Jeremy leaving his sister with her phone. Katherine smiled on seeing the text and dialed a number. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the receiver to attend the call.

Damon answered the call by saying, "Hello! Happy Thanksgiving, smiley. Hope you didn't ruin anyone's day there?" Katherine frowned on hearing such a greeting and retorted, "What makes you think it will always be me who ruins the day?" "So the day is somehow ruined there too. Don't feel bad. It is not that great here too. If anything it may even be worse than yours" placated Damon. Katherine sighed and said, "Whatever. Are you free tomorrow?" Damon furrowed his brows in confusion and asked, "Why does it matter?" "Hmmm. Because I want to go out on a date with you" answered Katherine sarcastically. Damon smirked and said, "I won't hold my breath if I were you. There are some conditions if you want to go out with me"

"Yeah, right. I bet it is a miracle if any girl even agrees to date you" retorted Katherine. "I am hurt. Don't you think I am sexy?" drawled Damon. "Yeah yeah. See this is some serious stuff, Damon. You told you wanted an appointment with that Hollywood actress for an interview, didn't you? Well I have got you an appointment tomorrow. You better not mess it up" instructed Katherine. Damon was rendered speechless and stammered, "What? You got… but it is really very difficult to get to her" "Of course. But she is my client. So it is not much of a surprise" replied Katherine. "Oh! But then again why are you helping me?" asked Damon suspiciously. "Well maybe because I hate you" said Katherine. "I never thought hate could do this much. If I had known about this before I would have taunted you more. But seriously Katherine, thank you" told Damon sincerely. Katherine noted that it was the first time he actually used her name. "Show your gratefulness through your actions. Happy thanksgiving" said Katherine ending the conversation.

Damon entered the room in all smiles as Stefan and Caroline frowned on seeing him that happy. "What got you in such a good mood?" asked Stefan suspiciously. "Well, you mean apart from a burnt turkey and a spoiled thanksgiving dinner?" retorted Damon sarcastically. "Oh come on, Damon. It is not that bad. I mean see it is just a little burnt" tried Caroline unsuccessfully to make the horrid looking turkey look appetizing. "Seriously, Care. I strongly advice you not to trick us and make us eat it. It looks like a charcoal for heavens sake" pleaded Stefan. Caroline looked offended and said, "Well then you guys yourself should have made the dinner instead of blaming me". "You never should have chatted with that guy you are crushing on for hours leaving the turkey unattended when we both were not here, Barbie" pointed out Damon.

"For the last time I am not crushing on Matt" shouted Caroline. Both Stefan and Damon smirked at each other and said simultaneously, "If you say so". Damon sighed and said, "It is okay. Let us forget about blondie's incompetence to cook a turkey." Caroline glared at him while Damon continued clearing his throat, "Let us all have our dessert, shall we? I mean this day can't get any worse, could it?" Caroline looked guiltily at Stefan who raised his eyebrows as if asking 'Can it?' Caroline nodded and affirmed it. Damon who was watching this whole exchange couldn't take it anymore and exclaimed, "Whoa whoa. Stop right there. You are saying it can get worse than this?" Caroline shifted guiltily and admitted, "Sorry sorry. I am so sorry. I forgot to pick up the pie from the bakery". Damon looked outraged and shouted, "You have got to be kidding me."

?

Klaus laid back in his chair and realized how bad he had messed up the family dinner. Maybe he shouldn't have brought up about the company that night but he couldn't hold back when he was provoked by his sister . He still couldn't understand why he was in bad terms with Rebekah. He knew she had nothing to do with anything, but he was just afraid that she might be the next one to backstab him. It didn't help that she supported Elijah in that matter. He was supposed to be her favorite brother not Elijah.

He was brought out of his musings by a phone call. He groaned on seeing the caller id. It was Elijah. "What is it now, Elijah?" asked Klaus warily. "I have not called you as your brother. I would like to tell you as the CEO that you are asked to attend the International Automobile Conference in Japan" said Elijah. "What? It used to be attended by Mikael. Why should it be any different this year?" retorted Klaus. "Because I told you so. I have some work here in New York, so I can't attend" explained Elijah. "What work could you possibly have here?" asked Klaus suspiciously.

"That is none of your business. You are going to attend the Conference and also visit and see how our Asian market is doing?" instructed Elijah. Klaus hated being bossed around by anyone and grunted, "Fine, but why Asian countries?" "What, you thought of going to Rome and Paris? I would like to inform you that you are not on any romantic trips" said Elijah. Klaus sighed frustrated and explained "I know that perfectly well. But it is only that it had always been Mikael who took care of our Asian market." "Well, you have to take care of it from now on. It is that simple. Don't worry I will take care of the European market. Okay? You clear now? Have a nice trip" wished Elijah.

'Yeah, right. You enjoy here while I go and work for you out there' grumbled Klaus to himself. Maybe this was the relief he required from all this drama. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise. He should immediately inform Caroline to pack her bags and be ready. Wait, he can't. Wasn't he the one to stupidly yell at her for no reason? Wasn't he the one to misdirect his anger on her? How could he be so stupid? She was actually blending well with his work schedule and actually performing well. He had to lose his temper at such an inopportune time and drive her away. He can't get a new PA in such a short notice. He needs to make it up to her and have her on board to the trip. But he can't exactly go about apologizing to her. He was Niklaus Mikaelson for heaven's sake.

"This is absolutely ridiculous" muttered Damon looking around the table. There were cookies, candies and milk on the table all mocking at him. "What to do? This is all we have got in the house. We have to adjust with this" said Stefan. He got a message and Damon enquired about it. "Oh it is just Klaus. He is coming over as usual" shrugged Stefan. "Thank god. I hate that guy but I can't deny that he always brings the best champagne. And I desperately need one right now to feel old enough" said Damon.

"What do you mean Klaus is coming over?" panicked Caroline. "Well, he mostly visits us on thanksgiving after his family dinner" told Stefan. "Great. Just great! Anyway I had been meaning to ask this from yesterday. Aren't the Mikaelsons British? As far as I know they don't celebrate thanksgiving" asked Caroline curiously. "Well, Klaus' mother Esther is part American. So they have followed this tradition from childhood" explained Stefan.

"Oh my god. There are Oreos too. Are you kidding me? Is this an adult's thanksgiving or what?" demanded Damon. "Don't panic, Damon. It is just that Care and I thought it would be fun to replicate the thanksgiving we had while we were kids" said Stefan. Caroline smiled reminiscing about the good old days. "We were too little. My father had left us that year. You two were alone too. My mom had duty that day. Embarrassingly I was crying. It was you two who cheered me up and took me to your house. You lit the candles and served the cookies and Oreos with milk. I had such fun that day. Till now I consider that as my best thanksgiving memory."

Damon looked at the two of them and felt fiercely protective of them the same way he had felt all those years ago. He always wanted to make his little brother smile and he came to know how important this blonde girl was to Stefan that day. From that day he considered her too as a part of their family. "So you ready to dip your cookies in the milk?" asked Stefan. "Sure" replied Caroline. The three of them dipped them simultaneously and laughed at the silliness of the situation. "God, we were so stupid" said Caroline in between the laughs. "Well we were young" defended Stefan. "Doesn't make much difference brother. We are old and we are still stupid" told Damon.

Klaus reached the door and knocked on it still wondering what he was doing. He had to get Caroline back but he still had no idea how he was going to do it. Much to his relief Stefan opened the door and invited him in. "Happy thanksgiving, mate" wished Klaus handing over the champagne bottle. Stefan smiled while accepting it and asked him to have a seat. Klaus saw the other Salvatore on the other side of the room.

For some reason those two never got along well much to the displeasure of Stefan. Added to that now he had Klaus and Caroline spat. Why could two people he loved never get along? "Hello Mr. Mikaelson" greeted Damon. Klaus nodded back thus effectively ending the conversation. "So had an eventful family dinner, I suppose?" prompted Stefan. "What? How did you…? Of course Rebekah" concluded Klaus. "Sorry if I sound too intrusive, but I believe you have to give your family another chance" said Stefan.

"I understand, Stefan. But unfortunately my brother is not as innocent as I thought him to be. See, even now he had instructed me to go to some stupid conference in Tokyo" complained Klaus. "So you are not going to be in town for a few weeks, huh?" asked Stefan. "Yeah and I need my assistant for this trip" hinted Klaus hoping Stefan would help him out in the matter. "Aah, now I get it. Sorry will never get in the middle of a fight between my friends. But from what I heard from Care you have some serious work to do" informed Stefan. Klaus groaned and asked, "Fine, where is Caroline?" "She is in terrace. Best of luck" wished Stefan and left the place.

Caroline looked at the sky pretending to admire the stars. But the truth was that she was uncomfortable of the very idea of being in the same room as Klaus after their fight. She had never been a fan of him right from her first telephone conversation with him as a stranger, but she thought she had glimpsed a part of him which was much more than an ambitious and ruthless businessman during the party when he told that it was Tyler's loss that he didn't marry her. He had sympathized with her. Though she didn't want to work under him there was still a small part of her that thought maybe he still had a kind heart somewhere inside. But all that belief was lost once he accused her of theft and spying. How dare he? Thinking about that still makes her angry.

There was a distinct clearing of throat and Caroline turned around to see the very bane of her existence standing before her. "Happy thanksgiving Caroline" wished Klaus smiling with his annoying dimples as if nothing had happened. "What are you doing here? Want to accuse me and humiliate me more?" questioned Caroline with her head held high. Klaus couldn't help but admire her boldness and also her beauty enhanced by the moonlight. Somehow it all appeared surreal. "Well, about that I didn't intend to falsely accuse you or anything. It was just a bad timing as I had just discovered that the company secrets were bring revealed to our rivals. I was in a bad mood and hence lashed out" explained Klaus.

Caroline understood his situation and she actually came to know more on the spy suspicion from Stefan. But what she wanted right now was apology. "Are you trying to say something?" encouraged Caroline. "Well, I just wanted to say it a mistake on my part to yell at you unnecessarily. I hope you will be back to work" said Klaus. 'Still no apology' thought Caroline and hence prompted, "And?" Klaus struggled within himself and blurted "And I want to say that you have signed a contract for six months anyway and you have to be back to work tomorrow. We have an Asian trip too this week. So be ready for it." Caroline couldn't believe his nerve. Can't he just let go of his ego for once and say sorry? God he had to be the most infuriating person on earth.

Klaus turned to leave and descended the stairs. He berated himself silently on the first landing. 'God, why couldn't I just apologize? Here I have gone on to infuriate her even more' thought to himself. "I am sorry Caroline" whispered Klaus and left the place immediately. Caroline who had rushed right behind him to call him out and shout that she did not care about any stupid contract stood there silently after having heard his apology that she so badly wanted to hear and which Klaus did not intend for her to hear at all.

_**A/N: Hope you all liked this chapter. What I wanted to prove was that even though the Salvatores didn't have money or family as the Mikaelsons they had a better Thanksgiving than any other family. Hope you got the point. The next three chapters would be only about Klaroline. So please forgive for less klaroline action this chapter. Please review review review. It would mean the world to me.**_

_**So Klaroline in Asia. I have couple of countries in my mind but I would love to see your suggestions. Please drop it in your reviews. Also start guessing about the spy in the office. It must be FUN. And don't forget to tell me what you think of Datherine. Also tell Beremy or Kennet? **_

_**KRISTINE.W:**__** hi! Yeah I saw the pilot of 'Originals' and actually liked Marcel and Camille. I just didn't like the baby storyline. Watch it online. I do so because here they haven't even started the 4**__**th**__** season. I guess one of Klaus' integral part is his voice and accent. I don't believe I would like dubbed version even if it is in my mother tongue. I actually reacted very badly when I heard Hayley was the mother. I would have no problems with Originals if they do away with baby storyline. Also I haven't watched the season finale :( Have you? Hope you liked this chapter. Don't forget to review. **_

_**Fallen Witch Angel:**__**Thank you. I am happy that you like the fact that I include all characters :) I also look forward to see who Bonnie ends up with ;) btw Kol is my all time fav character.**_

_**Inga**__**: thanks for reviewing! Don't worry the upcoming chapters will only be about klaroline. **_

_**Chetopat & Skyblue13**__**: thanks for pointing out the mistake about the British and thanksgiving. Continue to do so. It will help me a lot. Glad to know that you loved Caroline's outburst.**_

_**Mystery Girl3**__** : thanks for your lovely review :) There is definitely a spy. Start guessing and keep reviewing :) **_

_**April420**__**: Glad to hear last chapter made you laugh. Klaus definitely want Caroline back. And yes someone is seriously backstabbing Klaus. **_

_**Thanks to **__**1998baby, walkingthegardengnome, mysf, kacomu and MyloveforKlaroline**__** for their fantastic reviews. You guys made my day :)**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Give Me Love Like Never Before**_

_**A/N: Hey guys, here is the next chapter. An update this soon from me? Yeah even I am shocked. It is just that I was really excited about writing a full chapter about Klaroline. They first visit Korea. So I have included some Korean words, names and food. Korean words are italized. I am not sure that I completely got that right. Google and Wikipedia helped me a lot. I have only seen a Korean serial, so my knowledge about them is very limited. Sorry if there are any mistakes. Thanks for your reviews, follows and favorites. I guess enough with the rambling, so here is the next chapter.**_

_**Disclaimer: I definitely don't own TVD.**_

_**Chapter 10**_

Packing for a local trip itself had always been a little difficult for Caroline. Now that she had to be ready for an Asian trip, it had been one hell of a week for her. She knew nothing about it. Sure she had been to few places in United States but that was it. Neither her father nor Stefan had taken her anywhere really. Her father had once asked her to join him in Hawaii but she didn't want to be a nuisance in a romantic trip her father had with his boyfriend. And that's how she had never been out of US let alone the American continent.

She had no idea of how it would be there in Asia. She heard that it wouldn't be that cold but still she wasn't sure what kind of clothes she had to carry. So she just made sure to take all types. Maybe that was the reason her luggage appeared a little too much for a week's trip. Stefan came behind her, as Caroline checked if everything she needed was ready. "So you up for this?" asked Stefan eying her and her luggage with doubt. Caroline smiled at how concerned he seemed.

He knew that it was her first trip without her parents or friends and had been worried about it. He even joked that he wouldn't be surprised if she and Klaus end up killing each other in Japan. If you think about it maybe he wasn't joking after all. Caroline still couldn't figure out if she had forgiven Klaus. He did apologize for his actions but still he didn't intend for her to hear it. She hadn't bothered to inform him about her having accidentally hearing that. She did soften at his effort but was annoyed when he had practically ordered her to be back at work. So she was definitely still mad at him.

"Yep, completely ready and looking forward to spend one full unpleasant week with Mikaelson" replied Caroline chirpily. Stefan sighed and started to advice her about keeping a cool head which was what he had been saying the past few days but Caroline promptly said, "Oh, don't worry, Stefan. I won't let some annoying guy spoil my first trip abroad. Yeah he is a nagging person who I can't ignore but then we can anytime return the favor, can't we? I can't be worrying about traveling with someone I despise when I have a world waiting for me to explore"

Stefan felt that was the best he could expect from her so he wished, "Well, I am happy that you are so clear about this trip. I want nothing but you enjoying this one. Have a happy journey and hey be safe" said Stefan hugging Caroline in a protective way. "I promise that your best friend will be back in one piece" told Caroline softly. "Oh, I know Klaus will be fine. It is you I am worried about" joked Stefan earning a smack on his head. "Ow, what was that for?" asked Stefan rubbing the spot where she hit. "For making awful jokes. Seriously you need some help, dude" mocked Caroline checking her watch for time. "Shoot, I am late. See you, Stef" said Caroline rushing to leave. "You take care, Care" told Stefan bidding goodbye.

?/

Klaus looked into his watch again and started to lose his patience. Caroline should have been here ten minutes ago but she was still not here. To say the truth, he was a lot surprised when Caroline had arrived the next day morning after Thanksgiving to office and acted as if nothing had happened. He couldn't understand what was happening. He hadn't apologized to her nor had he been nice to her. He had actually demanded her to be back to work. Maybe she had heard his apology but it was impossible. It must have been the contract. Yeah, that made the best sense.

Caroline came running afraid of being late to the airport. She was caught in a terrible traffic jam and couldn't make it on time. She was afraid that Klaus would use this as an excuse to boss around. As soon as she reached the terminus, she located Klaus quickly. It wasn't that difficult to spot him in that black jacket of his that very much suited him. He turned just in time to see Caroline approaching him. He was about to pass a sarcastic comment about her being late but then he noticed her luggage and couldn't help but smirk. She struggled to handle that big luggage.

"In case you aren't aware, our trip is only for a week" greeted Klaus. Caroline scowled at him knowing full well that he was enjoying her misery. She wontedly dumped the suitcase with the intention of hitting his toes but Klaus was quick enough for her. "Whoa! I am not judging. You have all the independence to bring all you want. No need for violence" said Klaus still smirking. Caroline muttered something under her breath and asked, "I thought we were attending the conference in Tokyo first."

"Well, we are kind of first going to South Korea and then attending the conference as we have some work to do there. I hear that the language nor the food would be familiar. So be prepared" warned Klaus. "Oh, I guess it must be great then. Only you to communicate with" said Caroline sarcastically. "Yep, time of our life" replied Klaus groaning. "Fourteen and half hours trip to _Seoul*._ It is going to be a long trip" muttered to himself already hating the trip. Both of them were excited and looked forward to a break from their busy and monotonous New York life but it was their company they hated.

Caroline was never the one to fuss about her seating arrangement but for once she was really thankful that she didn't have a seat near Klaus. That would have been a hell ride. She decided to stop thinking about him and enjoy the niceties of traveling in a first class. She had never traveled in one, so when she got to know about it she was pretty much excited. It was indeed great traveling in first class.

There were fully reclining seats, workstations and an audiovisual on demand entertainment with a variety of films. There were facilities akin to a five-star hotel and served complimentary alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks and gourmet meals served with a choice of wine, dessert and aperitifs. Caroline made herself comfortable and picked Ice Age 4 to watch. She was happy that Klaus couldn't see her as she was sure he would have teased her about the choice.

Caroline noticed that the air hostess was a little impatient to talk to the woman with a child. It was as if she was in a hurry. When she squinted hard she noticed that her name was Mona. Caroline sympathized with her thinking that it must be really taxing to keep up a smiling face always and patiently hear all the obscene demands of crazy first class passengers. So when she came to her, Caroline just kept it simple. Mona appeared grateful and moved along. 'Poor thing' thought Caroline, 'Maybe she has some unfinished business'.

She resumed watching the movie and was actually so immersed in it as Manny the mammoth was fighting the scary monkey Captain Gutt. But then she saw that Mona had been in the same place for over fifteen minutes now. When she looked closer she noticed that she was actually happy to wait and was in fact blushing. Curious to know who that lucky guy was she strained herself to look inside and found none other than Mr. Niklaus Mikaelson smiling right at her.

She was furious at the air hostess after having completely understanding the reason of her impatience. She couldn't wait to flirt with the handsome, cute and obviously rich guy. Girl, if only she knew? Mona giggled at some sick joke obviously he had cracked and pitied her. It may be great to flirt with him and laugh and joke around but when it comes to the real him it was always a suicide. 'He is definitely not worth it, honey' thought Caroline going back to watch a mammoth slamming a monkey.

After a long and tiring trip Klaus and Caroline reached the international airport in _Seoul_. As they were waiting for their luggage Klaus tried to start a conversation by asking, "So had a good flight?" Caroline fake smiled and answered, "Of course. But not as much as you. It is always great to have an air hostess's attention, isn't it?" Klaus looked confused at first but then realized what she was talking about.

Honestly, Klaus didn't particularly enjoy the fact that the air hostess was hogging him all the time. In fact he had gotten irritated and politely but firmly told her to leave him alone. But there was no need to go into that right now. If Caroline thought he had better time than her, so be it. "Yeah, Mary did make the flight pleasurable" smirked Klaus as Caroline rolled her eyes and corrected, "Her name was Mona". Klaus cleared his throat and replied, "Yes, of course Mona. It pays to be good looking, you know. It is indeed a pity that you were all alone for fourteen and half hours".

"Don't worry. I had some real fun" retorted Caroline pulling her bag and making it to the entrance. Klaus just laughed and followed her searching for his name board. He found the guy immediately but frowned seeing Caroline already talking to him. The guy had red hair and a charming smile which could make anyone attracted to him. "Ah, let me take that for you, _jagiya*_. I don't want your precious hands to be burdened with these" said that red headed guy obviously flirting.

To Klaus' distaste Caroline blushed on hearing it. Klaus cleared his throat to make his presence known making Caroline jump. She looked like she was back to her senses and said, "This is Mr. Niklaus Mikaelson. The guy we are waiting for". The guy bowed his head and told with a heavy accent, "_Annyeonghaseyo*, _welcome to Seoul, I am Song Woo Bin. Your guide here. It is really an honor to have you here".

Klaus just nodded and asked him to get them to the hotel. Throughout the ride to the hotel Klaus had to endure Caroline and Woo Bin's constant sweet talk that his head started to hurt. On arriving there, Woo bin bowed to Klaus and waited for him to leave. Once Klaus was out of sight he turned to Caroline.

"It was nice seeing you, _jagiya_. We will meet again. But let me tell you one little secret. Dangsin-eun maeu aleumdabseubnida. _Dang-shin ttae-mu-ne ga-seu-mi seol-le-yo*._ See you soon.Good bye_"_ said Woo Bin in a whisper and winked at her before leaving. Caroline looked around making sure no one was around and raised both her hands in elation before quickly composing herself. She didn't understand one word of what he said in Korean but she was really pleased.

?

The morning after had also been a pleasant one. It was pretty much cold outside and Caroline found it really hard to be ready to go to the office so early the next morning after a long flight the day before. They were able to get pizzas and sandwich here though it tasted a little different. On the whole it was pretty refreshing.

When they reached the office they were welcomed by a really good looking dark haired guy with a boyish smile. Caroline wondered if all the guys here were cute. "Good Morning, Mr. Mikaelson. It is nice to have you here, sir. I am So Yi Jung, the manager. It had been your father who would visit every year and he would always be pleased with our company's performance" said Yi Jung. Klaus knew that the guy was lying through his teeth.

He knew Mikael very well and also knew that he could never be satisfied. This guy obviously was trying to please him by praising Mikael not knowing it had the opposite effect. "Thank you, Mr. Yi Jung. I would like to discuss about company's performance and see the sales record" asked Klaus. "Sure, this way, Mr. Mikaelson" showed Yi Jung. Klaus turned to Caroline and asked her to work about his schedule for that day.

Yi Jung immediately called his assistant to help her out. The girl who appeared looked cute and had a really kind face and innocent smile. Caroline was relieved not to be paired with some obnoxious girl. "Hi, I am Chu Ga Eul. Are you Mr. Mikaelson's assistant?" asked the girl. Caroline found it difficult to get her name, so just nodded and replied, "Yes, I am Caroline Forbes by the way" extending her hand. Ga Eul shook it and slowly said "Car-o-line. Sorry it is just a difficult name for me". "I completely understand" smiled Caroline.

She instantly liked this girl. There was something about her smile which was really warm. "So, you could work the schedule for Mr. Mikaelson with me. Yi Jung wants it to be perfect. He is very particular about it" said Ga Eul. Caroline sympathized with her knowing fully well how it was to work under a demanding boss. "Don't worry. We could make it work, Chu" assured Caroline wanting to get closer to her calling her by her first name.

However Ga Eul shook her head and told cheerfully, "No, you can call me Ga Eul itself". Caroline felt a little disappointed and agreed. Seeing Caroline a bit upset, Ga Eul appeared confused. Realizing what was on Caroline's mind, she explained "_Ani*_, you have got it all wrong. Chu is my family name. Here in Korea we have our family name first. That is reason for all this confusion. Got it?" Caroline appeared both surprised and pleased with her explanation and said, "Oh, sorry. Well shall we proceed, Ga Eul?" Ga Eul giggled leaving Caroline wondering whether she laughed at her enthusiasm or because she mispronounced her name.

?/

"Could you give me one reason why we are here?" enquired Caroline looking around the restaurant. When it had been lunch time, Klaus had suggested that day they were not eating in the hotel. She thought he had wanted to explore the city and had readily accompanied him. What she had not expected was that for him to explore the city's cuisine. Caroline was open to visiting different cities, admiring different arts and music, but if there was one thing she was not ready to experiment with, it was different cuisine.

Sure she loved Italian pizzas, French fries, Chinese noodles, etc but for her they were a part of every American's diet. So she was always nervous to try new food. Maybe that was the reason she was glaring at Klaus who was rather looking smug. "Well, I think the reason is quite explicit. We are here to eat. You could truly experience a country only if you taste their food" replied Klaus. "I am actually a bit uncomfortable about trying new foods. I will be fine with the burgers" said Caroline.

"Oh, come on, just give it a try. There is nothing wrong with that" tried Klaus. "Sorry but I am really fine with it" insisted Caroline. "For god's sake, it is past lunch time now. You won't get other food now" reasoned Klaus. "So be it, I will starve" retorted Caroline. "So, you are not adventurous as I thought you to be, huh? Afraid of even trying a new cuisine? Pathetic" muttered Klaus quiet loud enough for her to hear. Caroline glared at him and took the menu card forcefully.

She looked through it encountering all strange names. She just randomly chose a soup and noodles and called out to the waiter. She ignored Klaus totally as he looked on with amusement. Their orders came and it seemed like Klaus was at least familiar with the food here as he appeared so sure. He had ordered what was called Kimchi with some vegetable soup. Kimchi looked like a vegetable dish fermented in a brine of ginger, garlic, scallions and chili pepper.

Her own noodles were made with a black bean sauce fried with vegetables like zucchini and potato. She hesitantly touched the food as he looked on curiously. She just closed her eyes and tasted it. To be honest she really liked the noodles though the same cannot be said about the soup. She actually wanted to have more but stopped herself to hold her dignity. She actually owed it to him, since hadn't he mocked her she would have never did it. He knew her weakness and used it perfectly. He was that sneaky.

"So I have got your documents and papers for the conference. Also the flight tickets for Tokyo" informed Caroline. "Great. Let me have it" offered Klaus. "No it is okay. I will have it. This is what my job entails" rejected Caroline. "No I don't take risks when it comes to important things like that. I had always kept things like those with me even when I had other assistants. Well, except Monica. I just don't trust you with something this important" explained Klaus.

'Of course, the bloody Monica' thought Caroline as she glared at him. Klaus sensed it and said, "What it is not like you have earned my trust in such issues. Remember you losing the schedule for Tokyo?" "But I found it in the evening on the very same day" argued Caroline. "Yeah, but you still lost it once. Let us just say you need to improve in your safekeeping skills" said Klaus. Caroline scowled at him as he paid the bill. She protested by saying, "I can pay my own bills". Klaus just smirked and replied, "It will still be my money" and left the place. "Jerk" mumbled Caroline as she followed him.

?

Klaus looked around these unknown people in the party wondering how even though they had even barely met; they were like one big family. Earlier Klaus had believed that it would be strange and awkward to meet people who didn't speak your language though they worked for you. But after having traveled to France, Spain and Japan, he now understood that language was not a barrier if you connect. He just found it a bit difficult to trust anyone. A party was arranged due to his arrival and for him to actually to get to know them.

He could have refused but he couldn't bring himself to do so when Yi Jung asked with such an expectant face. He actually liked this Yi Jung guy. He seemed truthful, hardworking and smart. He seemed to be loyal to the company and put everything into it. The said guy approached him with a glass of champagne. "So how is the party going? Everyone out there enjoying themselves?" enquired Klaus. "Yes Mr. Mikaelson. They were happy that you agreed" said Yi Jung offering the drink.

Klaus accepted it and asked, "So the sales have gone downhill from last year. Any explanations?" "It is mainly because of this new Japanese automobile company. They appeal to the youngsters with flashy cars. We still follow the European style" explained Yi Jung. "Why can't we design such cars?" asked Klaus confused. "Yes. We can. In fact I have some proposals for such cars. It is just that…" mumbled Yi Jung. "What? What is your problem?" demanded Klaus.

"Well, Mr. Mikael didn't want to even see those. He believes such cars won't be classy enough for the company's reputation and doesn't reflect the European style" said Yi Jung. "Bull shit. You can't have international business without having flexibility. We have to cater to the needs of the local people to be successful in a particular country. You just forward me those designs. I will go through it and tell you" told Klaus.

A genuine smile appeared on Yi Jung's face and he said, "Thank you, Mr. Mikaelson. I was afraid that our company would perish" Klaus smiled back and assured, "I would never let it happen" After much contemplation, Klaus cleared his throat and asked off handedly, "By the way, what is the meaning of _jagiya_?" Yi Jung looked at him strangely and replied cautiously, "Well it means darling in Korean, sir" Klaus looked pissed for some reason and took one big swig of the drink.

?

"I just don't understand why he makes it his life's mission to taunt me. He always reminds me of the mistakes I make and always loves to prove that he is the boss. God he gets under my skin" rambled on Caroline as Ga Eul nodded along sympathetically. "I mean come on give me a break. Do you get what I am trying to say here, Ga Eul? Are all the bosses around the world like this?" wondered Caroline.

Ga Eul soothed her by saying, "No not all. But in general, the employees don't like their bosses" "It is true. What about you? Is Yi Jung a jerk too? He seems pretty much a no nonsense guy to me" asked Caroline. Upon mentioning her boss, a slight smile played at the corner of Ga Eul's mouth while she answered, "Yeah, he is definitely a jerk". "Oh really? God I thought he would be different. Why do all cute guys end up as jerks" moaned Caroline.

Ga Eul seemed to be amused by something Caroline said and just shook her head. "How long have you been working for him?" enquired Caroline. "It has been three years" answered Ga Eul. "Three years. God, I don't think I can stand Klaus for three years. I mean I am as such worried to work for him five more months. How do you do it? Is there any secret?" asked Caroline curiously. Ga Eul just laughed without replying. Caroline sighed and said, "Fine, keep your secret. Hey look a cute guy there. Really guys here are so nice. Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Actually I am engaged. My marriage is just three months away" replied Ga Eul showing her engagement ring. Caroline looked shocked and looked at the ring, "Wow, Congratulations. Who is the lucky guy? Childhood friend or co-worker or a stranger?" asked Caroline excitedly. Ga Eul blushed before answering, "Actually you know him. It is So Yi Jung" Caroline opened her mouth to speak but couldn't really form the words.

"Yeah, it is this jerk I am going to marry. This is how I felt too when I started working for him, but he just made me fall in love with him. I realized that if I get past his rough exterior, a genuinely kind and understanding person was waiting for me. Although he acts cold and mean, in reality he is warmer and more pure than others. He just masks his pain with a cold exterior. You know he was a Casanova before? Now he is not even allowed to see a girl" Saying so Ga Eul turned her gaze to where Yi Jung was standing.

At that particular moment he too turned to see in that direction and their gazes locked. There was tenderness, love, trust and even protectiveness in that gaze. Caroline thought back to the times when she thought she was with the love of her life. Even she had been excited to share her life with someone but everything was shattered when Tyler left her. Shaking her head Caroline said, "You are very lucky to fine the One" grabbing a drink. "Thanks. Don't worry. You will meet someone too who will turn your world upside down" reassured Ga Eul. Caroline just smiled sadly draining her drink.

?

Klaus felt tired after a long day and decided to retire to the hotel. He wanted to check on Caroline and inform her about his departure but decided against it convincing himself that she was not a baby and that she could take care of herself. 'Even if she was not able to, her sweet Woo Bin would help her' thought Klaus bitterly. Finally he decided to just bid her good night and searched for her.

However he only met Yi Jung's assistant who looked so nervous for some reason. "Any idea where I could find, Ms. Forbes?" enquired Klaus. "Mr. Mikaelson, I am really sorry. But it seems Caroline has had a strong traditional Korean alcohol. She is really drunk. She can't even stand properly. She is now lying on the couch" said the girl pointing to a very unstable Caroline. She was not even sitting properly on the couch.

She kept sliding and looked utterly confused. Klaus was really mad at her for being such a mess. Couldn't she watch what she was drinking? "I can help her to her room if you want, sir" offered the assistant hesitantly. "No I can take care of this. You wrap up this party" said Klaus reaching the couch. Caroline clapped on seeing him and winked at him. She must be really drunk to act so thought Klaus. He reached for her hand and tried to pull her. But she protested a lot and refused to get up.

He just let out a frustrated sigh and reached for her waist as he tried to steady her. He put an arm around her as he guided her out. She fit within him so perfectly as if it was meant to be. She kept looking at his face as he led them out. She reached out and touched his nose, giggling at his annoyed expression. "Hmmm why are you always so grouchy, Klausy?" asked Caroline in her drunken voice. Klaus just shook his head and proceeded. "Hey, come on answer me. Don't treat me like a child" said Caroline indignantly.

Klaus steadily ignored her and got her into a car. He told the destination to the driver and sat beside her. "Come on why are you always treating me like this. Why are you always belittling me? Always make me feel like shit?" asked Caroline loudly. "It is always Monica is the best, Monica this, Monica that. Just shut up about her. I am not her and I will never be. I am better than her" Klaus just shook his head.

"You know you are a dick, yes a jerk. Not at all worried about hurting someone and …" Klaus just dragged her out of the car and prayed to god that the driver didn't know English. As they reached their floor in the hotel, "I only came back because you apologized. Yes, I heard your apology that day. Why can't you say the damn thing in front of me? Are you a coward? Come on talk me, up front" slurred Caroline wagging her finger.

Klaus looked surprised on hearing about the apology. He cursed himself for not noticing her that day. Caroline pulled on his tie that got him a lot closer to her. Klaus looked at her confused while she looked straight at him. Their noses were nearly touching when Caroline whined, "I am hungry" Klaus steadied her and made her sit in the sofa and looked through the refrigerator. There were just some chips and soda.

He carried them to her and placed it in front of her. She reached for the chips packet and tried hard to open it, slipping every time she tried. Klaus grabbed it from her and tore it open before returning it back to her. Caroline grinned at him and said, "Oh you can also be sweetie if you want to, huh?" grabbing his cheeks. "Oh how could you be so bad and yet so hot? I mean look at you all girls drool over you. Hell everyone in your family is good looking. Your brother Elijah with all his suits looks sexy. Kol is not bad. He would really be more attractive if he didn't try that hard. Oh, I forgot Rebekah. Wow she really looks hot! Oops, did I say that aloud?" said Caroline putting her hand on her mouth.

Klaus sighed deciding he definitely didn't need to hear her lesbian fantasies and carried her to the bed. He removed her jacket and covered her with a blanket. Though he didn't want to take advantage of a drunken woman, he just couldn't help but feel the softness of her skin and the tingles it spread through his. He brushed the hair off her face and left before he could do anything more stupid like kissing her forehead.

_**A/N: So how was it? I am really nervous about this chapter because I really put a bit of an effort. I enjoyed writing it, so please tell if you enjoyed reading it. I wish everyone who reads this chapter reviews. Please please review. Keep suggesting Asian countries.**_

_**Ela marelica: Wow I can't believe it. I had actually planned of having a scene like that. Anyway thanks for reviewing :)**_

_**1998baby: Lol I am happy that you liked Klaus's actions. He is just a bit stubborn and that makes him even more endearing :)**_

_**Mystery Girl3: Glad to hear you loved the chapter especially Damon, Caroline and Stefan part. About who called Elijah, let it be a mystery for a while, ok? Thanks for being a constant support. You have reviewed every chapter and encouraged me throughout. Thanks for everything. Continue to review :) :)**_

_**KRISTINE.W: First of all thanks for such a big review. It made my day. I always love lengthy messages but reviews are just like chocolates. And I love chocolates way too much. So you have started writing? That's great. Really waiting for your amazing story. Glad you liked the chapter. Don't feel bad even I have never been out of Asia. I don't know about Germany much either. I could definitely understand your fear of losing your PC since my laptop had crashed twice within a month recently. Even my father was not so happy about it to put it lightly. Now that you say I am also curious to see Joseph Morgan with a baby. It will definitely be cute. I definitely hope Candice comes over to Originals. God their chemistry in the finale was awesome. I am happy that you like my replies to the reviews. I love them too since they take me closer to my reviewers. And I really feel like I have a got a good friend across the sea. Truthfully you are the awesome one, so continue to write these fabulous reviews :) **_

_**SkyBlue1309: Yep Klaus apologized. But he didn't intend for Care to hear. I think it will be really nice to see these characters falling love :)**_

**Special thanks to kacomu,, Lynnevampire, Inga, Guest, walkinthegardengnome and MyloveforKlaroline for their sweet reviews. Keep it coming :)**

**Korean words and their meaning**

**Seoul – Capital of South Korea**

**Jagiya – Darling**

_**Annyeonghaseyo –Hello (formal)**_

**Dangsin-eun maeu aleumdabseubnida- you are very beautiful**

_**Dang-shin ttae-mu-ne ga-seu-mi seol-le-yo – You make my heart flutter**_

_**Ani - No**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Give Me Love Like Never Before**_

_**A/N**__**: The next chapter is here. I am really happy that the story now has got more than 100 followers. It wouldn't have been possible without you guys constant support. Thanks a lot and continue reading and reviewing. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD.**_

_**Chapter 11**_

As the sunlight filtered through the curtains in the room, Caroline groaned at the brightness. She peaked from the bed covers that had engulfed her and which were one of the prime reasons for her comfortable sleep last night. But the pounding headache she experienced right now promised a hell of a morning for her. She found herself worn out and hated to get up from the comfort of her bed.

Obviously she drank a lot last night leading to such a miserable morning. She remembered chatting with Ga Eul and drinking some local alcohol, but didn't distinctly remember who brought her back to the hotel room. She squinted hard trying to remember something about it but eventually came up blank. She finally decided it would be better to freshen up and then try to recollect as at least then she would have some luck.

Caroline dried her hair in towel as she recounted everything that happened last night. She was complaining about Klaus to Ga Eul and was shocked to hear about Ga Eul's engagement to her boss. She wallowed in self pity over Tyler and tried to drown the sorrows through alcohol but then the next part was really hazy. Someone definitely helped her to her room. She looked through the room for any clues. She fervently hoped it was Ga Eul who brought her back and prayed to god that Klaus would be unaware of it.

That was when she spotted a discarded chips packet. It was then she remembered it was Klaus who had helped her open that packet. So that must mean that it was he who brought her to her room and put her to sleep. Caroline sunk to the chair beside her as she came to this horrible conclusion. Of all the people who could have seen her drunk, why should it be Klaus? The worst part of this nightmare was that she didn't remember a single thing from her last night. She was sure she would have called him a jerk and went on rambling but she was afraid if she had done anything stupider. She had no choice but to face him. She could only hope that she had stopped with swearing when she was drunk. But she just knew instinctively that she will never be that lucky.

Caroline walked hesitatingly towards Klaus's room unsure of what may wait for her there. It was her job to read out the schedule for the day to him every morning but it sounded such a daunting task right now. She gripped her file tighter and knocked the door twice. As she received no answer, she tried the knob hopping to leave the schedule on his table instead of reading it to him. She tried as much to delay the confrontation. However, to her surprise the door opened revealing Klaus without any shirt standing there in his pants.

He looked as if he was indecisive about his tie as he held one in each of his hand. Caroline exclaimed, "I am so sorry" and kept her eyes downcast. But it was not before letting her eyes roam over his well built body. He had a well toned body, not in sense of a body builder type but just as much required. He had tattoos of flying birds on his left shoulder which only made him sexier. It was incredible just how Caroline registered all this with one glance! Klaus was caught off guard but tried to hide his shock by asking, "What are you doing here? Don't you know to knock?"

"I knocked. I can't help if you couldn't hear" muttered Caroline. "Still you should know better than to open one's room without their permission" said Klaus putting on a T-shirt which was near by. "Well you should know better than to dress in the living room" retorted Caroline. Klaus smirked and teased, "Oh, I see the old Caroline is back. Not anymore the shuffling, fumbling and giggling Caroline I assume?" Caroline flushed a little on hearing it to the immense pleasure of Klaus. She silently cursed her fate for ending up with him in her vulnerable state. "Sorry for last night. I didn't know it would be such a strong alcohol" apologized Caroline. Klaus still didn't drop his smirk as he told, "Oh, don't worry I had my fun last night"

He winked as he said it causing Caroline to frown. 'What does he mean by fun? My idiocy? Or anything else? It can't be…' thought Caroline panicking. "Oh, trust me. I didn't take advantage of you. I actually just came to know about the dirty thoughts you had about…." he paused leaving Caroline look shocked. 'Dirty thoughts? About who? God what did I blabber when I was drunk?' thought Caroline dreading for him to finish his line. "My sister. I never knew you had feelings for Rebekah" teased Klaus.

"Your sister? Are you out of mind?" cried Caroline indignantly. "Yeah. You only told that you thought she was hot. It is okay, Caroline. I am not judging you" continued Klaus enjoying her horrified reaction. "See I know that you are just fooling around. But let me tell you. It is not funny" glared Caroline. "Oh come on. This explains your friendship with Stefan. I mean who would remain friends for so long without you know…" wiggled Klaus. Caroline huffed before answering, "Oh don't worry. I am not going to snatch your boy friend anytime soon." Caroline left the room leaving Klaus spluttering.

?

"So have you sent my designs to Mr. Mikaelson? It is important that he gets it during his trip itself" said Yi Jung as he walked around Ga Eul's table. "Yeah, I have mailed it today morning itself. You don't need to worry" assured Ga Eul. Yi Jung smiled seeing Ga Eul's serious face. He put both his hands on either side of the chair and moved it to make her face him. He pinched her nose adorably and said, "Oh my sweet Ga Eul. I just wanted an excuse to meet you" as he made her stand up.

Ga Eul just glared at him and told, "Yi Jung, this is office. Anyone can walk into us any minute. Just leave" Yi Jung smirked as he pulled her closer to him and said, "Oh come on. Who would come up to your office this early?" Ga Eul's hands automatically wounded around his neck as she started losing her resolute. She feebly offered, "Caroline may be here any minute to say her goodbye". "Then we could easily pretend to be doing some serious boss and PA stuff" coaxed Yi Jung as he tried to close the gap between them. Just as their lips were about to meet they heard a knock on the door leaving Yi Jung to make frustrated sound and Ga Eul to blush.

Caroline made her way to Ga Eul's room in the office. Though she had been here only for two days, Caroline still felt a little sad to leave behind this wonderful city and a good friend. When she reached the door she heard voices inside. She thought it was better to knock the door and wait out given her luck today in opening doors. A very flushed looking Ga Eul came out followed by an unhappy looking Yi Jung. Caroline just greeted him for which he left with an unenthusiastic reply.

Caroline turned to Ga Eul and smiled at her before saying, "Thanks a lot for making the stay here pleasurable. I thought I would be lost in a foreign land which I knew nothing about. You were such a great friend and I would never forget you. Congratulations on your engagement and all the best for your future" Ga Eul smiled at her and took her hands and gave a Korean girl doll. It was dressed in a traditional Korean dress and appeared to be handmade. As Caroline declined it, Ga Eul shook her head and said, "You should never refuse a gift here in Korea. I just want you to remember me whenever you see this. I too had fun with you, Caroline and will surely miss you. You should actually come to my wedding. And don't worry everything will be fine" Caroline came forward and hugged Ga Eul as she returned it with equal affection.

Caroline will definitely miss Ga Eul's innocent face, warm smiles and constant reassurances. She vowed herself to be in touch with her even though it may be a little difficult. "So shall we go?" asked Ga Eul as she guided Caroline to the entrance. Caroline was met with a very annoyed Klaus who for some reason looked really displeased. She looked around searching for the cause only to find the charming Woo Bin grinning down at her. Caroline couldn't help but be cheered up a little on seeing him.

"Mr. Woo Bin will accompany you to the conference and would assist you in everything, Sir" bowed Yi Jung. Klaus just grunted in response and got into the car. Caroline went near Woo Bin as he was loading the luggage and asked, "Are you coming with us, Woo Bin?" Woo Bin winked at her and said, "Of course, _jagiya! _Didn't I tell you we would meet again?" Caroline was just happy that she would have someone other than Klaus to talk with in Japan.

?

Klaus pulled on his tie as he got ready for the conference. He was excited to be attending his first International automobile conference. It was always Mikael who attended such conferences. He had always wanted to attend one as the CEO of the company. Though he was not attending it as a CEO, he still found solace over the fact that he was able to attend it. There was only half an hour left for the conference and he thought it was better to be at the hall a little earlier. Caroline entered the room with her bag looking at him expectantly.

"Thank god, you came. See I want you to inform our Japanese office to submit their report by today and make sure you receive it personally. Hand it over to me when I am back" instructed Klaus. "Am I not accompanying you to the conference?" asked Caroline obviously disappointed. "No, you are not. You are just going to stay here and make sure you get the report" said Klaus searching for the documents. Caroline nodded dejectedly as she was really looking forward to exploring the city. She hadn't been outside here like Seoul and added to that she had to deal with a ditzy girl who was paired with her.

Klaus continued searching frantically as the minutes passed by causing Caroline to frown. "Is there any problem?" enquired Caroline. Klaus looked tensed as he answered, "The documents for the conference are missing" "What? It can't be. Do you remember the last time you had it?" asked Caroline. Klaus tried to focus and said, "I remember going through it in the car to Seoul airport. And I don't remember getting it out of the car" Klaus sat down and held his head between his hands as he told; "It is my entire fault. I only cockily said that I would have it, doubting you. See what I have done? I am a stupid. What am I going to do?" Caroline kneeled near him as she tried to comfort him by saying, "Klaus, this is not the time to decide who is right! You go to the conference. I will get you the documents" Klaus looked at her confused and asked, "But how could you? Isn't it at Seoul? It is a two hour travel from there and the conference is in twenty minutes". "Trust me. I will get you those. Just go" assured Caroline. Klaus had no option but to trust Caroline.

Caroline rushed to the entrance of the hotel searching for Woo Bin. She found him near the reception looking through the newspapers. "Woo Bin, you need to take me to a place where I can take print outs immediately. It is really urgent" urged Caroline looking out of breath. He looked at her in confusion and said, "Calm down, _jagiya_. It is easy. Just have some water" Caroline just shook her head and told, "You don't understand. It is really important. Please get me there quickly". Woo Bin nodded realizing it must be really something important for Caroline to look so frantic and guided her outside.

Klaus walked across the hall tensed as there was just two minutes left for the conference to start. In fact, all the other guests were already inside. As the seconds ticked by an assistant approached him requesting him to come inside as the conference was about to start. Klaus sighed defeated and made his way inside dreading about his first ever conference ending in failure. Just as he was about to enter he heard his name being called out by Caroline. He turned back to see her running towards him with a file full of documents. Caroline breathed hard as she reached Klaus and said, "Here it is. Now go. All the best" Klaus looked surprised as he asked, "But how?" "There is no time for it. Go" told Caroline practically pushing him towards the door.

Caroline waited anxiously outside wondering if everything was going well inside. She tried her best to be on time and she was glad to have made it. But still she was worried if everything was perfect. She was brought out of her musings by Klaus who waved his hand in front of her face. "You are back. How was the conference?" asked Caroline eager to know how it went. Klaus dismissed it and said, "It was me. Of course it went well. Now tell how you got these documents?" Caroline shrugged and told, "Well I had a soft copy of those before I gave it to you. I didn't know back then that you would snatch those from me. But I always like to keep a backup. And it just helped us in this case"

Klaus didn't know what to say. Obviously he was at fault this time and she had done him a big favor. Before he could respond, she told coyly "So I guess my safekeeping skills are not that bad". Klaus smiled one of his genuine smiles and was about to thank her when Caroline looked at her watch. "Crap. I have to meet that annoying assistant in five minutes. God, life here is so taxing" said Caroline rushing towards the exit. Klaus watched her leave and looked down at his file whispering, "Thank you, Caroline"

At last after all the drama, Caroline had some time left for exploring the Tokyo city. Ever since they had been here, she had been busy with getting reports, scheduling meetings and saving some asses. So now that she was free, she was going to enjoy every bit of the city. Woo Bin had promised to take her to some amazing places and she was really looking forward to it. As she made her way to the hotel lobby, she saw Klaus waiting dressed in full suit. Caroline walked towards him searching if she could find Woo Bin anywhere near.

"Hi, have you seen, Woo Bin?" enquired Caroline looking around. Klaus smiled as he pointed behind her. Woo Bin approached them and bowed to Klaus. He just nodded back and said "Ah, Woo Bin. The man I have been looking for. You have to do me a favor" Woo Bin looked confused as Klaus continued, "I need you to go to Mr. Nakamura and convince him that the Korean design would be beneficial here too. I believe you have the skill to convince anyone with your charm. So I expect you to be successful" "But, sir. Don't you want a guide to visit the tourist spots here? I mean I could do this even tomorrow" stuttered Woo Bin. Klaus just smirked and said, "It is not a problem, Woo Bin. I am perfectly capable of exploring the city myself. This is not my first time here." Woo Bin just nodded and waited till Klaus passed him. He faced Caroline who looked disappointed and promised, "See it is all for good, _jagiya_. We two can go out tomorrow alone without him. What do you say? Will you go out with me?" Caroline smiled and agreed seeing his hopeful face.

?

Caroline huffed and puffed as she tried to catch up with Klaus who seemed pretty normal even after walking for about an hour. He seemed perfectly fine with walking not stopping for even a moment. It had been two hours since they visited the last spot and Caroline really doubted if Klaus knew about this city as well as he told. "Where are we actually going?" asked Caroline out of breath. "Keep calm and believe in me. We are not lost" assured Klaus. "Oh I don't know. We have been walking for two hours now. You don't seem to have a particular destination in mind. Do you even know where we are?" challenged Caroline.

"Of course, we are near the Rappongi Hills" answered Klaus. Caroline cursed under her breath and wished she could really know if he was saying the truth or bluffing. "Anyway when was the last time you came to Tokyo?" enquired Caroline rubbing her hands together. She really wished she had put on some warmer clothes. He seemed to hesitate a little before saying, "Not long back, just ten years ago" "What? Are you kidding me? How would you remember a place that you visited ten years ago?" demanded Caroline. "Oh, don't worry. You are not lost" tried Klaus desperately to keep her calm.

"Why are so stubborn like this? Why couldn't you just allow Woo Bin to accompany us? Why should you always try to prove that you don't need others help? It is not bad if you get help once in a while" said Caroline. "I am perfectly fine, thank you. I can find my own way. Maybe it will take couple of more hours but we will eventually reach the destination" defended Klaus. "If you want to have an adventurous expedition, you should do it when you are alone. Not when someone is following you like an idiot believing you" countered Caroline. Klaus just sulked and went on without replying. Caroline followed him constantly cursing him under her breath.

Klaus noticed that Caroline was shivering from the cool breeze and felt guilty that he was partially responsible for it. He removed his coat and offered it to her. She just glared on seeing it and refused to accept. "Oh come on. Don't be adamant. You will freeze to death" insisted Klaus. "No thanks" said Caroline resolutely refusing his help. "God, you are the most stubborn person I have ever seen in my life" told Klaus shaking his head. "And you are the most infuriating person I have ever met" retorted Caroline. Klaus just put his coat around her shoulders without even waiting for her permission. Though she protested at first, she stopped when she felt the warmth of his coat. She pulled them closer as she thought there was no harm as he was the one responsible for her condition.

As they walked on they saw a tall tower in the distance. Located at the top of the Mori Tower, the Tokyo City View observation deck had high ceiling and glass walls that extend all the way around the building. As they stepped into the observatory, a superb view of the Tokyo Metropolis was revealed in front of them. Commanding a three sixty degree panoramic view of the city from two fifty meters above sea level, Tokyo City View was in the center of Tokyo. Because of the advantageous location without nearby buildings obstructing the view, they were able to enjoy an unmatched view. From the dynamic city skyline to the sea of urban lights rising out of the night, it looked like a gallery for appreciating the art that is called the city. There were three sky galleries and two sky terraces. The floor was illuminated by soft light from light boxes suspended from the ceiling, while the glittering night cityscape created a fantasy ambience.

"Wow, isn't it breathtaking?" wondered Caroline as she enjoyed the full view of the city. Klaus watched her silently as she transformed to a baby seeing the city with amazement. She looked like an innocent child which made her endearing. Her smile was so beautiful and pure that he had rarely seen her sport. He had only seen her angry, sarcastic or worried that he felt bad that he was the reason for all those. Caroline observed that Klaus was watching her instead of the view and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello, I asked isn't it beautiful?" repeated Caroline. He smiled at her enthusiasm and nodded, "Beautiful, indeed"

?

Caroline knocked on the door waiting patiently for a reply. They had got back to the hotel late last night and she had slept on little later than usual. She was surprised that Klaus hadn't called her and assumed that he too must have been tired from the walk the day before. Since there was no response from the other side she knocked harder. Klaus was never known to sleep late. He was always early and Caroline had often wondered if he slept at all. She heard groaning and shuffling of feet and after what seemed like hours, Klaus opened the door. To say that Caroline was shocked to see him in that state would be an understatement. His hair looked disheveled and he looked really weak. He was still in his pajamas and coughed.

"What happened to you?" asked Caroline surprised. She had always seen him smirking, cocky and angrier but never in such a vulnerable state. She was so used to see him like that she hated seeing him like this. "It is nothing. I am just tired" said Klaus coughing still having problem accepting that he was weak and needed help. Caroline rolled her eyes as she argued "No, you are sick. Your eyes are red and puffy. You look pale and you are coughing incessantly. I think you have fever" "No I am alright" protested Klaus glaring at her.

"Oh stop acting tough" dismissed Caroline putting her hand on his forehead to feel the temperature. Klaus involuntarily closed his eyes at her touch. "God, you are burning! Did you take any medicines?" demanded Caroline. Klaus just shook his head. "But how did you suddenly have fever? Oh my god! It was all my fault. You caught cold due to the cold breeze from last night. It was all because you gave me your coat" concluded Caroline feeling guilty. If he hadn't offered his coat to her he wouldn't have caught fever. She was so focused on keeping her warm that she forgot about him.

"No. it is not like that. It is just an ordinary fever. I can manage it myself" said Klaus trying to make her leave. "I know you are capable of everything. But it won't hurt if you let me help. Now did you have breakfast?" questioned Caroline. "Yeah, had bread toast. Why?" asked Klaus warily. "Good. Then you could have the tablets. Here take it" offered Caroline. When Klaus tried to resist she just glared at him that he had no choice but to stop protesting. She tried to help him to his bed for which he said, "I am perfectly capable of getting to my bed. I am a patient not a handicap" Caroline just sighed and left to return with a cotton cloth dipped in hot water. She put it on his forehead and gestured for him to rest. "I don't like you bossing over me" protested Klaus feebly. "Oh, it is pretty unfortunate that you don't have a choice" retorted Caroline. Klaus glared at her and sunk deeper into his covers thinking the last time he was unwell. At that time, he had his mother who just took care of him the same way Caroline did. He just then realized how much he missed his mother and went to sleep with tears in his eyes.

Caroline perched herself on one of the sofas near the bed as she took out a magazine to read. Her mobile rang and she immediately attended it not to wake Klaus up. "Hello, _Jagiya!_ Are you ready for the outing? I am waiting to spend the day with you" said Woo Bin. Caroline bit her lip undecided. She looked back at Klaus who was sleeping calmly and replied, "Sorry, Woo Bin. I can't make it today" "You do know that I go back to Seoul today and this is our last chance, right?" asked Woo Bin. "Yeah, I know. But I really can't come today. It was great meeting you, Woo Bin. And I would never forget you or your charming smile. But I think it is time for us to part ways" told Caroline sadly. She heard Woo Bin on the other end sigh before replying, "I understand, _jagiya_. Don't worry. I was lucky to meet you. We had some great time and I will never forget those. But let me tell you, you are the most wonderful girl I have ever met and anyone will be lucky to have you" Caroline smiled on hearing it and said, "Thank you. But I will miss you. Good bye" She turned to see that Klaus was still fast asleep and took the magazine again to spend another long day.

_**A/N: I myself don't know how this chapter was. You guys please let me know what you think. The conversation between Yi Jung and Ga Eul was written in English though they would have talked in Korean in private. It was all for our convenience. Hope you all like this chapter! Pretty please review!**_

_**Ela marelica: Thanks for your awesome review! That restaurant scene was my favorite too. And yes we have seen the hate. It is time to see the love ;)**_

_**April420: I am happy that you loved the chapter. Once we get past his exterior we all know how sweet Klaus can be. And yes Klaroline spells Hot anyway :)**_

_**KRISTINE.W: Thanks for such an elaborate review. I was so glad that someone enjoyed reading my story as much as I loved writing it. You pointing out every little thing make me happy because I write for you all to notice it. And I assure you I am just a young Indian girl who loves Klaus's dimples and Caroline's sweetness ;) I mean who wouldn't be crazy about them. So where do you think is the next stop for them?**_

_**Mystery Girl3: Glad to hear that you loved the chapter. Of course a jealous Klaus is my favorite too. Keep reading and reviewing :)**_

_**Elijahlover: First of all thank you for your sweet review! Thanks for your compliments though I am not sure if I deserve it. Bonnie will be undecided between Jeremy and Kol for a while. But I love Kol. Sorry for not including Henrik and Finn but I just felt that we have sufficient drama with these four itself. Just out of curiosity on seeing your username, who do you want Elijah to be with in this story?**_

_**Sarah Jeanne, nganthoi, Riah2386: I was surprised to see so many of you recognizing the BBF characters. I am a huge fan of it and love Yi Jung and Ga Eul, the SOEUL couple. I am so happy to see you were all happy to see them here. And thank you for mentioning it in your reviews :)**_

_**Thanks to walkinthegardengnome and the Guests for their lovely reviews :) :) :) **_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Give Me Love Like Never Before**_

_**A/N:**__** So here is the next chapter. Hope you all like it. Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favorites.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD**_

_**Chapter 12**_

"So does that mean it is the end of our trip? Are we finished with it?" asked Caroline eagerly. True, she loved traveling and visiting new places, but she really started to feel home sick after a few days. She missed being at a familiar place, meeting known people and eating regular food. It had all been exciting at first but then she really missed home. They had traveled to three more countries in a week and were finally in India. They didn't do much sightseeing in those places as they had little time and had so much to do. This trip was turning strenuous and she badly wanted to go back.

She missed Stefan, Elena, Bonnie and Lexi. She even missed Damon's constant sarcastic comments. Klaus too realized that they didn't have a breather since the conference in Tokyo. So he hoped to relax here. "No this means the end of our business trip. But we are free to enjoy the rest of the trip" said Klaus. Caroline looked at him skeptically. "Oh don't look like that. I promise you, you would have fun" told Klaus. "Yeah, right" laughed Caroline sarcastically. Klaus looked a bit offended and defended, "Hey it is not like I am such a bad company".

"Have you met you?" asked Caroline raising her eyebrows. Klaus just ignored her and declared, "Well I am going to explore the place. It is up to you. You can either accompany me and have fun or stay back and regret." Caroline debated between the two options. Though the second one appeared a lot more appealing, she just felt that she may not get such a great opportunity again. She had, after all, always wanted to visit the Taj Mahal. "Fine, I will come with you. But only if you promise me that you will not let your ego get in the middle and ask help to the places" said Caroline. Klaus just glared at her and left the place. Caroline smirked happy to have got to him.

Three hours later, Caroline sighed going through the jeans in a big shopping mall. When Klaus had told her that they were going shopping first, she was really excited. She loved shopping and looked forward to explore New Delhi for what it had to offer. But coming here, she was disappointed. Not that the mall didn't have anything nice. In fact it was filled with the world's best brands. But the drawback was that she could get those even in New York. She had wanted to get something unique that would remind her of her trip to India.

Apparently she had come to the wrong place. Caroline turned to see Klaus looking through the suits. He seemed to be absolutely fine. Caroline just shook her head and went back to her jeans. That was when she heard a voice which exclaimed, "Nik, is that you? God, it has been years!" Caroline turned to look at an Indian guy of Klaus's age hugging him tightly. Klaus too seemed to have recognized that guy as he hugged back and said, "Rahul, I am so happy to see you" Rahul appeared really happy for a moment before he punched Klaus in the stomach.

"Rascal, don't ever talk to me. You just forgot me after the college. I even tried to contact you in New York, but I couldn't reach you." To Caroline's surprise, Klaus looked genuinely guilty as he tried to pacify his friend by saying, "I am so sorry, Rahul. I guess I just got carried away by work. What are you doing now?" Though Rahul appeared unsatisfied with Klaus's explanation, he dropped it and replied, "I took over my dad's company. What are you doing in India, anyway?" "Well, I came here for some business matter" said Klaus. "Oh yeah. I heard that you are in charge of Mikaelson motors in US. I always knew you would do it. You were pretty ambitious." Klaus just laughed it off while Rahul finally noticed Caroline standing nearby.

"Oh, is this your girlfriend? You look great together" announced Rahul. Caroline shook her head in horror while Klaus explained, "She is my personal assistant, Caroline Forbes. Caroline this is my friend from college, Rahul Sharma". Rahul shook hands with Caroline still convinced that she looked more of his girlfriend than his assistant. "Fine then you have to come to my home. It is not like you come to India that often" urged Rahul. "I don't think I can. I really have to…" "I am not requesting you to come. I am saying you should come. So should you, Ms. Forbes" smiled Rahul. He looked like a pretty sweet guy to Caroline. What she still couldn't understand was how such a nice person was friends with Klaus.

?

Caroline looked around the living room as she realized how big the house was. When Rahul had invited them to his house, Caroline thought it would be pretty big house as he happened to own a company. What she didn't expect to see was a palace with a great decorated living room, and a big staircase inside that led to the first floor. It looked like Rahul lived in a big joint family with his parents, brothers and his wife. She was envious of how lucky he must be to live in such a big family when she couldn't even see her only mom on Thanksgiving.

They had a good Indian lunch there and they were pretty loaded with the spicy dishes, hot parathas and puris and sweet ladoos. Though they were a little too spicy for Caroline's taste nevertheless they were tasty. Moreover she loved the delicious badham gheer and the mouth watering gulab jamuns. The Sharmas all were kind and receptive. They were actually happy to see them and treated them well. They insisted on her having more when she refused additional helpings. On the whole Caroline had one pretty satisfying lunch.

"So you are leading a perfect life, huh! CEO of your own family business, married to a beautiful wife and living with your family. Can this get any better?" teased Klaus with a hint of jealousy in his voice. Rahul laughed humorlessly on hearing it before saying, "To all those from outside, we may look like a happy family without any worries. But only we know how much we suffer from the pain of losing our princess" Klaus looked shocked as he saw tears starting to form in his friend's eyes.

"I am talking about Pooja, my youngest sister. She died in an accident last year and ever since our family has never been the same. Though we put on our masks everyday, we can't help but feel a gaping hole in our otherwise fun filled family. She was the only girl in our family who brought cheer to the house. You will not know the impact a person one has on our life until they leave you" said Rahul. Klaus had a sudden urge to call Rebekah right away and tell how he terribly missed her and how stupid he was to fight with her. Rahul brought him out of his thoughts by saying, "Anyway sorry to load my sorrows. Tell me about you. How is your family? Didn't you plan to live together with your brothers and sister?"

"Yeah, but not everything happens as we wish, Rahul" sighed Klaus. "Why? They are your family, Nik. Remember, family above all? No matter what differences you have, try to set them aside. After all, we don't know what surprise life throws at us, sometimes" advised Rahul. Klaus just nodded at him not wanting to argue. "So, what about Caroline? Isn't she pretty? You would make a great pair, Nik" teased Rahul trying to lighten the mood. Klaus just shoved him aside causing Rahul to stumble resulting in both of them laughing out.

?

Words failed to describe the beauty in front of her for Caroline. She was standing before one of the Seven Wonders of the World. She had gotten picture postcards of this place before but now only she realized that the postcard picture of _Taj Mahal_ did not adequately convey the legend, the poetry and the romance that it symbolized. As they passed through the gateway and into its manicured ground, they were quickly enveloped into this tranquility and beauty of green gardens and trees, and of course the imposing monument as its most striking and captivating feature at the far end.

Caroline was memorized and captivated by Taj Mahal's simplistic beauty and elegance. The reflection of such a magnificent structure in the pool only added to its attractiveness. The guide who accompanied them explained to them the meaning of its construction, "Taj Mahal was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal. As a tribute to a beautiful woman and as a monument for enduring love, the Taj reveals its subtleties when one visits it without being in a hurry. The rectangular base of Taj is in itself symbolic of the different sides from which to view a beautiful woman"

"The main gate is like a veil to a woman's face which should be lifted delicately, gently and without haste on the wedding night. In Indian tradition the veil is lifted gently to reveal the beauty of the bride. If you stand inside the main gate, your eyes would be directed to an arch which frames the Taj. The dome is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is this background that works its magic of colors that, through their reflection, change the view of the Taj. These changes, they say, depict the different moods of woman" explained the guide.

As they came outside, Klaus looked amused for some reason and shook his head. Caroline frowned at him but decided to ignore him. "How romantic, isn't it?" asked Caroline wanting to start a conversation. Instead Klaus burst out laughing as he said, "Oh come on. You don't believe all the bull shit, right?" "What? You mean how it was built with absolute symmetry and how it took sixteen years and thousand people to build?" questioned Caroline irritated. Klaus always knew how to ruin her day. "No, I meant how Shah Jahan built this out of his pure love for his wife and died seeing this" explained Klaus.

"Of course. He built it out of pure love. Are you saying that the guy who spent his last days imprisoned by his son looking at the monument he built for his wife through a tiny hole, actually didn't love her?" argued Caroline. "Oh come on, for all we know, that building just might have a good view of Taj Mahal. As for his true love, he was married even after Mumtaz" reasoned Klaus. "So, that doesn't belittle the love he had. You just can't accept the fact that anyone can love this much only because you don't know to love" retorted Caroline. Klaus just scoffed as he said, "Love is the most overrated feeling in the world. Only fools believe in it. It is nothing but a weakness"

"Love not only means the love a boy feels towards a girl. It represents a mother's affection for his son, a brother's protectiveness over his sister and the friendship we share with someone" spelled out Caroline. "Sometimes, family and friendships can also disappoint, so you just can't convince me to believe in love" said Klaus. "I mean do you really believe in true love and soul mates? I mean, sorry to bring it up, but after what happened with Tyler?" questioned Klaus curiously. "Yes. I really believe in it. Tyler may not be the right guy but I do believe that there is a man who is perfect for me" insisted Caroline. However Klaus just snorted. Caroline let out a frustrated sigh as she conceded, "You know what? You can wake up a sleeping man. But cannot do so if he acts as if he is sleeping. I think it is not worth the calories I burn trying to make you see sense" Klaus just shrugged as he walked on.

Caroline stopped walking as a white colored miniature Taj Mahal adorned with color stones stole her attention. She had a sudden urge to own that beautiful piece of work. So she walked straight to the boy who manned the shop and enquired, "How much is that little Taj Mahal?" The boy looked back at it and shook his head saying, "No, madam. Not for sale. You should shoot the balloons to get it. Pay five rupees for each shot." Caroline contemplated over it as she wasn't that good at shooting the objects perfectly. Klaus, who had been watching her throughout, smirked at her as if challenging her to do it. So with new found conviction, Caroline got the gun from the boy and attempted to shoot the yellow balloon at the center.

The gun was a little heavier for her taste and she struggled to keep it up. As expected she missed the first shot. When she looked back, Klaus looked as if he was trying hard to not to laugh. With determination to shut his mouth, she aimed at a purple balloon which she considered as her favorite color. What she didn't expect was for her favorite color to let her down. By this time, Klaus cracked and laughed a little. Caroline huffed and shot desperately wanting to get over with it. To her surprise, the bullet hit a green balloon she didn't aim for at all. She jumped in ecstasy as she demanded her prize. The little guy gave her a key chain and returned to his other customers.

Caroline looked outraged and demanded, "Hey, I asked for that Taj Mahal. Why are you giving me this?" He appeared calm as if he had encountered crazy ladies like her everyday and explained, "You should shoot three balloons consequently to get that. For your shot you will get this key chain only, _didi_*" Caroline glared at him threateningly when Klaus felt the need to intervene. "I will pay double the price of the Taj. Just sell it" offered Klaus. However the boy resolutely refused to take money from him and insisted on following the rules. Finally Klaus relented and said that he himself will participate in it. Caroline was surprised to see Klaus doing this just for her to get that little Taj.

He looked so in ease positioning the gun and the way he flexed his muscles got him admiring looks from girls in the shop. She shot them all a withering look before turning her attention to the shooting. He shot the first shot precisely hitting the center balloon. Caroline raised her eyebrows clearly impressed with his skill. However, she was a little uneasy when he shot the second balloon too with same precision. 'Was he really that trained in shooting?' thought Caroline to herself. But she was happy that he could get her the thing she wanted. To her utter disappointment, Klaus missed the third balloon by mere few centimeters. She was given a stuffed doll for it which suffered greatly at her hands.

Klaus tried to make her see reason and promised to get her a similar one elsewhere. But she stood her ground and said she wanted that or nothing. "You leave me with no other choice. Start to run with me when I say go, ok?" instructed Klaus. "What?" asked Caroline confused at his crazy instruction. "Just trust me" said Klaus as he sneaked near the gift section and grabbed the Taj and whispered, "Go". Caroline was shocked at first by what he did but then realized she should eventually run. She ran with him in high speed through narrow streets and small roads till they were at a safe distance from the shop. They stood there out of breath and looked at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing.

"How could you even think of this?" asked Caroline in between the laughs. "Well, you wanted it. We tried our best and it was the only option left" explained Klaus. Caroline smiled at him thankful for going all the way to get what she desired. She noticed for the first time that he was not, Mr. Klaus Mikaelson, the ambitious and rude boss of Mikaelson motors in suit. Instead what she saw in front of her was Nik, the guy dressed in jeans and t-shirt not worried of his reputation, who just ran away from a shop because he stole something that was not even worth ten dollars. Caroline looked at him and said, "Thank you" genuinely smiling at him for the first time. Klaus too was thrilled to realize that he loved to make her smile and just hoped to do that more.

However their happiness was short lived as out of nowhere, a young girl came out and threw color powder at Klaus and shouted "Happy Holi". Klaus was a bit shocked at first but then remembered that Rahul had warned him not to wear a white shirt that day as it happened to be Holi. Apparently, Holi was a festival of colors. Young boys and girls drenched each other in colors and enjoyed the day completely. Caroline who had been waiting for Klaus to explode was surprised when Klaus lunged towards the girl's stock of color powder and applied it on Caroline. The Indian girl just laughed and suggested to Caroline, "Come on, it is just a fun festival. Take your revenge" Caroline didn't need to be told twice as she took the color water from the girl and drenched Klaus. He smirked devilishly as he chased Caroline into a street full of people celebrating Holi.

?

"What are we exactly drinking?" asked Caroline quite buzzed already. "It is apparently called 'bhanga lassi'. But this is not too strong for an alcohol" clarified Klaus. "I just want to make sure there is no repeat of what happened in Seoul" explained Caroline. "Well, I enjoyed it" winked Klaus sipping their drink. Their evening had been fantastic. They blended well with the crowd celebrating Holi and had the fun of their lives. Caroline was surprised to see Klaus relaxed. She half expected him to shout at the girl who threw the color powder but was pleasantly surprised to seeing him joining the group.

"Why are you looking at me strangely?" asked Klaus feeling her eyes on him. "No it is just that I haven't seen you this relaxed, carefree, sweet and fun in all these days I had been with you" clarified Caroline. Klaus laughed one of his genuine laughs and said, "You see, I was acting professionally before. I was your boss and thus behaved as one. But now we are on a trip where we can enjoy. You should grab those opportunities because they are very far and few". She realized that there was more to him than just an ambitious businessman. Caroline looked unsure and asked tentatively, "Shouldn't we have dinner?" Klaus looked at his watch and nodded before answering, "Yeah, I heard there is a Pizza Hut round the corner. Let's go."

When they reached the place, they were preparing to shut down the shop. When they enquired, the shopkeeper told, "It is eleven, sir. During winters all the shops close at ten in the locality, sorry" Caroline groaned on hearing it. "God, I am freakishly hungry. Why did we waste our time looking through the street shops? I really need to have food" whined Caroline. Klaus looked her up and down and went to speak to the shopkeeper as if he had a sudden idea. After few minutes, Klaus asked her to enter the Pizza Hut much to the surprise of Caroline. She started eating as soon as she got the Pizza. Klaus looked on sipping the water.

The Indian lady behind the counter looked at Caroline and said, "Shouldn't you be more careful, madam? You should eat on time during such conditions" Caroline looked strangely at the woman before turning back to Klaus who merely shrugged. She noticed that he didn't have anything eat so asked, "Where is your pizza?" "There was only one left" answered Klaus without looking at her. "Then you could have at least told me. We could have shared" argued Caroline. "He just wants you to be healthy madam. After all, you have to give birth to his child, know?" told the lady behind the counter. Caroline turned to glare at Klaus who had disappeared to pay the bill.

"Why did you say that I was pregnant?" demanded Caroline as soon as they made it out of the shop. "That was the only way by which I could get you a dinner in this place" justified Klaus. "But pregnant, seriously? You could have at least shared the food" said Caroline. "It was just a mini pizza and you looked so hungry. It is fine. I am not that hungry, really" assured Klaus. "But still…" trailed off Caroline agitated. "Do I look fat?" asked Caroline suddenly. Klaus laughed at the ridiculous question, "What?" "If they believe that I am pregnant, doesn't that mean I look fat?" groaned Caroline. "No. Actually I told them you were only three months pregnant. So you don't necessarily look fat. Anyway you look perfect for me" said Klaus shrugging. Caroline turned sharply before asking, "What?" Klaus stuttered before saying, "I meant to me. You look perfect to me" "Whatever" brushed off Caroline.

They found a bar nearby and entered it trying to spend some time. They settled at a cozy spot and ordered some champagne. "You know pregnant woman are not supposed to drink alcohol" teased Klaus. Caroline glared at him as he raised his hands in surrender saying, "I was just kidding" "You know I can't believe our trip is ending tomorrow. Back to New York. Swish" said Caroline. "Tell me about it. It is back to the boring and monotonous life of New York" agreed Klaus. "And back to bossy Klaus" told Caroline carefully seeing if it affected him. He just nodded his head and said, "Of course".

"Hey check out the girl in pink T-shirt. Isn't she pretty?" asked Klaus looking at the back of Caroline. She followed his gaze and found an indeed good looking girl. "Yeah" accepted Caroline grudgingly. "So you fall for such type of girls, huh?" enquired Caroline. "I don't have a type. As I told you before I don't believe in love. But if I must choose a girl; she must be beautiful, strong, full of light, fearless and smart. She must be able to keep up with me, maybe even tame me" explained Klaus. Caroline just raised her eyebrows and said, "Such high expectations, huh?" Klaus smiled and asked, "What about you, Caroline? What type of guy you like?"

Caroline seemed to think for a moment before answering, "Hmmm, I don't know. He must be kind, understanding, supportive, passionate and of course good looking. I mean he should show me a side of me that even I didn't know existed. He must help me discover myself." Klaus looked impressed, "Wow, that was some list. Did Tyler fit any of your descriptions?" Caroline looked a bit down on hearing his name. "I am sorry. If you don't want to talk about it, its fine" said Klaus.

"No. It is just that I was so immature when I was with him that I believed that he was the love of my life. I ignored all his shortcomings because I was afraid of losing him. But at last he just felt that the marriage was too soon and broke up with me. Only then did I realize that he was just my high school sweetheart and I was foolish enough to cling to it fearing I may never find someone like him. I was afraid of the unknown and didn't want to come out of my comfort zone. But only after coming to New York did I realize that there was more to my life than Mystic Falls, Tyler and high school life" concluded Caroline. Klaus nodded his head as if he understood what she meant all along. Even for him, coming to New York meant a new independent life without Mikael.

"You know the only thing I miss about back home is my mom. I wish she would come with me. But you are lucky to have at least half of your family here in New York. It must be great to grow up with brothers and sisters, right? I was a single child and I don't know about it. I mean I had always been jealous of Stefan that he had a brother even though that brother was Damon" said Caroline. Klaus laughed at the scowl on her face when she mentioned Damon glad to have found another hater. "Actually, it is definitely fun to grow up with brothers and sister. I am always protective of my sister. My younger brother though irritates me a lot, will always be special because he is the one who is scarily too much like me. As for my elder brother, I looked upon him as a father figure I never had" said Klaus looking ahead reminiscing his childhood days.

Caroline sensed that this was not the right time to point out that he did have a father in Mikael. "I was always happiest when I was around them and I always wanted us to live together until…" trailed off Klaus. "The party" completed Caroline. She remembered how heartbroken he was at that time. "It is not like I don't love them anymore. I just am not sure if I could trust them" Caroline understood that Klaus would have never confessed these if he had been sober. Still she did feel sorry for him.

"Anyway the only guy I trust in this world now is Stefan and I want him to be happy" said Klaus. Caroline nodded agreeing with him, "Yeah, he is the best friend anyone could ask for. But he is not happy right now" "It is about Elena, right? I always felt they were made for each other" told Klaus. "I just wish they could be back together, you know? I mean they are soul mates" grumbled Caroline. When Klaus raised his eyebrows, Caroline conceded, "Fine. It is okay if you don't believe in soul mates. But don't you think they should be together? Why can't they be sensible? "

Klaus nodded and asked, "What if we make them see sense?" Caroline frowned and questioned, "What do you mean?" "I meant we can help them get together. We both are Stefan's best friends and thankfully you happen to be a friend of Elena" said Klaus excited. "You think we can do it?" questioned Caroline still in doubt. "Of course, we can. We would make great partners in crime" winked Klaus. Caroline nodded happily and agreed, "Then I am in" Klaus raised his glass of champagne and toasted, "So cheers to our partnership" Caroline clinked her glass with his and said, "Cheers".

_**A/N: So they are partners now? What do you think? Any sparks? Please review if you liked the chapter. It would mean the world to me and make me update faster. Please review…..**_

_**Didi means elder sister in hindi**_

_**Mystery Girl3: Thank you for your lovely review. Sorry couldn't continue with Klaus being sick but I hope this chapter satisfied you. **_

_**Thanks to Ela marelica, kacomu, summer1234, mysf and three Guests for their wonderful reviews :)**_

_**Please keep reading and reviewing.**_


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